Contributor: Samantha Penna. Lesson ID: 11586
You may not give a hoot about birds, but owls are fascinating creatures! Watch an owl hatch, hear some owl speech, and examine owl barf (online) to learn about these night hunters, then write a paper!
What kind of curious-looking bird is this? Have you ever heard an owl's call or even seen an owl flying?
Why are owls so rarely seen in the daytime?
Owls are nocturnal birds that stay up all night and sleep all day.
They can be found on nearly every continent. The only continent they don't live on is Antarctica.
Watch the All About Owls for Kids: Backyard Bird Series - FreeSchool video below to learn about owls. Think about the similarities and differences you see between different types of owls. Focus on how owls move and how they sound:
Remember, owls are nocturnal. This means they sleep all day and stay up all night. During the night, they hunt. Their spectacular vision helps them spot their prey. Owls are carnivores that prey on small rodents, insects, frogs, lizards, snake, and birds. Owls use their sharp talons to pick up their prey.
Check out the talons on the owl below. Did you know owls only eat live prey? They will swallow their prey whole. After an owl is finished eating, it will cough up an owl pellet that contains all the parts of the animal that are too hard to digest.
Owls cannot move their eyes. They need to turn their head to look in different directions. Did you know owls can turn their head almost all the way around? This is how they are able to spot their prey!
All owls are birds that lay eggs. All owls hatch from eggs. Male owls will hoot to try to attract females. After they mate, the female owl will try to find a nest to lay her eggs in. Owls don't make their own nests, so they have to find abandoned nests. When the babies, or owlets, are hatching, the mother owl will use her beak to help the babies get out of the eggs. Watch this mother owl help her baby get out of an egg in Wesley Hatches! -Molly The Most Famous Owl In The World! by SirCarlosR:
Fantastic! You learned so much about owls. Move on to the next section to dissect an owl pellet and learn more about these interesting birds.
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