What is the difference between an eagle owl and a white owl. What is the difference between an owl and an owl. What does an owl eat

Owls are of various types. Let's look at how the owl differs from other representatives of the owl genus.

The owl family represents several groups of birds that differ from each other, they also have common characteristics. Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees, their eyes have three eyelids: the first for blinking, the second for protection from insects, and the third for sleeping.

It is noteworthy that birds live all their lives in a pair with only one male. All birds: eagle owl, owl, owl belong to the family of owls. But they have some differences, both in appearance, size, and in the way of hunting. Next, we will find out in detail how to distinguish where the owl is, and where the owl or owl is.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl, an owl: comparison, difference

The owl is a bird of prey of the owl series. They are of two types:

barn owls - barn owls, etc.
Owls - eagle owl, splyushka, tawny owl

Owl, owl are also owls. The largest representative of this group of birds is owl, it impresses with its size, has maneuverability, can change direction in flight even at high speed. Hunts for large prey. The only thing is that it is now rarely found in the vastness of nature, which is why it was listed in the Red Book.

owls come in different sizes, colors and types. Each group of birds is characterized only by their inherent appearance. Some types of owls (fish, eared) have ears, however, like the eagle owl, it is by these signs that it can be distinguished. The big bird doesn't have a round disk on its face like owl and owls.

Owl family. What size birds?

Characteristic differences between birds of this breed:

The eagle owl, unlike an owl (except for some species of it), has feather ears, impressive size, and unusual plumage in the head area.
Almost all owls, the owl, have a frame in the form of a corolla, equally hard, short feathers. Fili does not have such a disk.
The owl flies quietly, and the eagle owl creates whistling sounds when flying.
The owl hunts mice and other small animals. The eagle owl can even hunt roe deer.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl, an owl externally: photo

Owl has characteristic features in appearance that are unique to this genus of owls. As mentioned above, this is a predator with ears, thanks to which it perceives sounds in such a range that it exceeds the sound range of mammals almost four times.

The head of all these predators is round and large in comparison with the body. feathers owl have a reddish tint on the front side. And on the head, back there are black stripes, which allows the bird of prey to disguise itself.

Flynn - what does it look like?

Owl is small and has no ears. It has variegated colors and large expressive eyes. The beak, like all owls, is curved in the form of a hook, the claws are very sharp, thanks to them the bird successfully hunts.

Owls - owl family

IMPORTANT: In the order of owls, there are more than two hundred species of birds, different in size and appearance. But all these birds have large eyes that look only forward due to the fact that owls do not have eyeballs.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl, an owl in size, wingspan: photo

Owls come in various sizes - the largest of them is the eagle owl, while the owl is a very small bird. An adult eagle owl weighs approximately four to five kilograms. Its length can reach almost 73 centimeters. When an eagle owl flies, the wingspan is 150 centimeters, and sometimes two. Interestingly, females are larger than males, a bird can weigh one and a half kilograms more.

The long-eared owl is also somewhat similar to owl, only its size is significantly inferior to a bird of prey. Yes, and its flight is not heard because, like a relative, soft short feathers that frame the ends of the wings.

Owl the bird is not large. The body length of an owl representative is about 23 centimeters. Color may vary in this breed, depending on the subgroup of the bird. Females are also somewhat larger than males, they do not have ears characteristic of eagle owls on their heads.

IMPORTANT: Birds live in their natural environment for about ten years, in captivity an owl lives much longer. Sometimes this period reaches forty years. All this is due to the fact that in the natural environment the owl does not survive for a long time due to its extermination by hawks, golden eagles, etc.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl, an owl in singing?

Especially during the period of warming, when nature wakes up outside after winter, owls often scream. The tone of their voices is somewhat sad, melancholy, monotonous. Others are melodic. Owl with an eerie echo utters woo-o-o, thereby he calls the female. Many people who hear such bird calls are often frightened. Although this sound does not threaten them with anything terrible. Eagle owl females scream - hoo-hoo.

In an owl, the sounds are slightly different from other representatives of owls. To mark the boundaries of the territory, the owl makes sounds similar to croaking. When they arrive at the nests, they emit a high pitched sound. In case of alarm, they shout, chirp.

Why do owls, owls and eagle owls only hunt at night?

Most owls fly out to hunt at night. This is a favorite time of day for such a number of cases. However, not all birds prefer to hunt at night, many do it during the day. Eagle owl, owl get their own food both at night and during the day.

It all depends on where you live. Those representatives of the genus of owls that live in the North cannot divide the day into day, night, because daylight hours can last there for half a year.

Despite the fact that owls have better eyesight at night, they can see well during the day. But there is a certain peculiarity of the predator's vision, more precisely, the bird sees very poorly near, but excellent far away.

Eared owl - night hunting

Predators are able to perceive the thermal transmission of the prey, ultrasounds. This makes it easy for them to spot their prey. To catch it, it is enough for an owl to silently fly up and use its claws and beak.

The eagle owl catches prey due to its quick reaction and sharp eyesight. In flight, he rises high in order to see the victim from afar, even in secluded places, and then abruptly catch it.

Video: Owl is a bird of prey. Members of the genus Owl

In our lives, we often remember owls, and with the spread of the Internet, touching videos with owls have become even more. Traditionally, the image of an owl is associated with wisdom and knowledge, often appearing on the emblems of educational institutions. For example, a crystal owl is a prize in the What? Where? When?" on the 1st channel, where experts fight with the audience answering their complex intellectual questions.

Speaking of owls, we do not specify their specific species, but on the whole planet they are over 420 species. All of them are united by the fact that these predators hunt at night, silently flying in search of prey. They have large round eyes and a short, predatory beak, while their coloring is meant to camouflage them among the branches of trees.

The Owl family on the territory of the Russian Federation is represented by 11 genera: Eagle Owls, Fish Owls, Snowy Owls, Tawny Owls, Long-eared Owls, Hawk Owls, Scoops, Needle-legged Owls, Upland Owls, Owls, Owls. In cities, you can most often meet Owls, they often fly there in severe frosts, since the city is a little warmer. There they hunt local sparrows and tits. People call all these predators owls, and they are right, since they are all from the same family - Owls. But let's see how the owl differs from other owls?

Appearance

The eagle owl is the largest representative of the Owl family. The rest of the owls are usually larger than the pigeon, but their wingspan is from 60 cm to 1 meter. And the wingspan of the eagle owl reaches 2 meters, 60-75 cm is the body length of the owl, and its weight can vary from 2.1 to 3.2 kg. And females are heavier than males. The color of the eagle owl can vary depending on the area in which he lives, in the steppe regions they are clay yellow, in Siberia they are almost white, and the color from dark red to golden ocher is typical for the European part of Russia. A characteristic feature of the owl is also feathered fingers. It is also characterized by long dark feather ears. They are also found in the long-eared owl, which is much smaller, but not characteristic of other birds and owls.

Habitat

Owls live all over the planet, they can be found in the deep north, in deserts, steppes, mountains, by the sea and even in cities. They can be found anywhere on the planet, except for the North Pole and Antarctica. Mostly owls settle in forests, only a few, for example, Swamps, choose open sites to build nests.

The eagle owl is less common. Its main habitat is concentrated in Eurasia. It is found from the western borders to the Sea of Okhotsk. Absent in the northern forest-tundra and tundra parts of Russia. Lives in taiga, forests, steppes and even deserts. Eagle owl rarely settles in cities, although he is not afraid of a person. Prefers secluded places for nests, among rocks and stones with many hills and ravines around.

Feed

Mostly owls hunt at night, although the Snowy and Hawk Owls forage during the day, and the Little Owl can hunt at any time of the day. The main food of owls are small rodents, smaller owls feed on large insects. Sometimes large species of owls catch small birds. Owls have very sensitive hearing, which allows them to hunt in complete darkness. Flying silently on the ground, the owl can make a distinctive call that often scares away its further prey.

Eagle owl prefers to hunt in open areas at night. Its prey is often larger than that of other owls: birds, fish, mouse-like rodents, hedgehogs, and even rabbits and hares. The predator swallows small prey whole with wool and giblets, dismembers larger prey into pieces, for which it returns later. With hedgehogs, before use, it removes the skin with needles, although it can sometimes be swallowed along with them. The eagle owl easily switches from one type of food to another, which makes it easier for him to adapt and survive.

Nesting features

Owls occupy other people's nests, often without even upgrading them in any way. They can also lay their eggs in a rock crevice, in an abandoned animal burrow, or in a hole in a wall, picking up a secluded spot. The Ural Owl can occupy human-built owl houses. And in the attics of houses or under the roofs, a little owl or a barn owl can settle.

Eagle owl nests on the ground, and does not build a nest, but simply selects a small piece of land, digs a hole and lays eggs there. It does not even have a bedding made of wool; pellets can play its role in the future. Sometimes an eagle owl can take someone else's old nest.

Significance in culture

Since ancient times, owls have been poorly studied, and their rare appearance near human habitation was often associated with death or misfortune, so people expelled owls. In ancient myths and legends, one can find an unusually negative interpretation of the image of an owl. But with the development of the natural sciences, owls have ceased to frighten people so much. It turned out that they are useful, exterminating mice from the fields, and they were quickly brought into the protected category of birds.

Owls and eagle owls are often sung in songs, they are happy to take their names for their pseudonyms, song and movie titles. Most often, owls and owls are associated with wisdom and knowledge. The folklore meaning of the eagle owl is a wise adviser, a bearer of sacred knowledge. In Slavic mythology, owls were associated with the underworld, seeing them as the owners of underground wealth.

Owls are often called people who love to sleep until dinner. And this is a direct comparison with a bird of prey that hunts at night and sleeps during the day. Owls have always attracted the attention of man: a large beautiful bird, silently flying low above the ground, turning its head 270 degrees. Cute owl videos are getting more and more popular. And after the Harry Potter book, many wanted to get their own owl, although they do not tolerate captivity very well. The owl is found all over the planet, and therefore is often reflected in myths and legends, literature and folklore of various peoples of the world.

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Owl and owl are very similar to each other. Both birds are predators and are nocturnal. Outwardly, these birds also have much in common, since they belong to the same order - owls. In both birds, the eyes do not move, but the head can turn 180 degrees. They see the world around them in black and white.

But still, the owl and the owl have some differences. For example, in size, an owl is larger than an owl. On average, it weighs about 4 kg, and an owl 2 kg. In addition, the eagle owl has peculiar ears made of feathers on its head. In an owl, unlike an eagle owl, a facial disk is noticeable (that is, the muzzle has a round shape). The plumage of an owl is monophonic, and an eagle owl is brighter. On his head and in the upper back there are longitudinal stripes, which can be of different colors depending on the habitat of the eagle owl.

The diet of an owl and an owl is also different. Since the eagle owl is larger, its prey is not small either. Hares, hedgehogs, pheasants and even roe deer become its victims. The owl preys on small rodents and insects. Both birds also eat fish. The owl does not see well in daylight, so it goes hunting only at night. Well, an owl can hunt not only at night, but also during the day.

The flight of an owl is accompanied by various sounds similar to a whistle, and an owl flies silently. This is because the owl's wings are pointed at the ends, while the owl's, on the contrary, are smoother.

An owl is a bird of prey, belongs to the order of owls (lat. Strigiformes or Striges), in which 2 families are distinguished:

owls or true owls (these include the genera of the tawny owl, owls, long-eared owls and scops)
barn owls (these include the genus barn owl and the genus mask barn owl)

The paws of an owl are very strong and grasping, in many species they are feathered. owl claws sharp and curved, they help her to quickly grab the victim and hold it. The flight of an owl is almost silent, this is due to the special structure of the feathers. The first outer feathers are sawtooth and fringedly serrated. The third and fourth feathers of an owl are longer than the rest. The tail is rounded and clipped, and the tail feathers are bent. The wingspan of an owl is about 142-200 centimeters. These birds fly very fast: the speed of an owl in flight reaches 80 km / h.

The bird makes a characteristic clicking sound when irritated or excited. It turns out this is due to her beak. The beak of an owl is bent from the beginning to the very base, ends with a hook, the edges are even and without cuts.

Owls can turn their heads 180 and even 270 degrees without causing themselves any inconvenience or harm. The owl bird is a predator, and it needs to track down prey, so the eyes are not located on the sides, but in front.

The eyes of an owl are motionless and look only straight ahead. To change the direction of the gaze, the bird needs to turn its head. At the same time, the owl's field of view is 160 degrees, and its vision is binocular, unlike other birds. Owls see the world in black and white. The lens of owls is not in the eyeball, but in the horn tube, so the birds see perfectly at night.

The hearing of an owl is 4 times better than that of. As soon as the prey betrays itself with a rustle or sound, the bird rushes at it with lightning speed.

Types of owls, names and photos

In the owl family, 3 subfamilies, 30 genera and 214 species are distinguished, the most common of which are:

Long-eared owl (lat. Asio otus)

The bird has a length of 31-36 centimeters. The wingspan reaches 86-98 cm. The color of this species of owl is dominated by a gray-brown hue with variegated spots, the chest is white. Dark spots are located on the upper side of the body, transverse stripes stand out on the underside. On the head of a long-eared owl are large ear tufts, which consist of six feathers.

It lives in coniferous forests, prefers European countries or northern Asia as nesting sites, flies to northern Africa for wintering. The long-eared owl feeds on rodents, voles, insects and birds.

Great gray owl (lat. Strix nebulosa)

A large bird with a length of 80 cm and a wingspan of 1.5 meters. The big-headed bird has a smoky gray color. There are dark stripes around the yellow eyes of an owl.

The owl feeds on rodents and. For nesting, it chooses the nests of hawks and buzzards; it does not build nests itself. The black spot under the bird's beak looks like a beard, hence the name of the bird. The bird does not have feather ears; a white collar is located on the neck. The underside of the wings hides dark stripes.

The gray owl lives in the zone of taiga and mountain forests in the Baltic countries, in the European part of Russia, in Siberia, on Sakhalin, in Mongolia.

Eagle owl (lat. Bubo bubo)

It has a length of 60-75 cm, a wingspan of 160-190 cm. The weight of a male owl reaches 2.1-2.7 kg, the weight of females is 3-3.2 kg. The eagle owl is the largest bird in the owl order. The plumage of the predator is dominated by reddish and ocher colors, the owl's eyes are bright orange, and there are bunches of elongated feathers above the eyes.

Eagle owls live in the forests and steppes of Eurasia, prey on rodents, mice, hedgehogs, hares, birds and other vertebrates.

Sparrow owl (lat. Glaucidium passerinum)

The body length of the owl is 15-19 cm, the wingspan reaches 35-40 cm. The weight reaches 55-80 g. At the same time, males are smaller than females. The color of the owl has a gray-brown or dark brown color, white mottles are clearly distinguished on the feathers, larger on the back and small on the head. The bottom of the bird has a white color with longitudinal stripes of a brown hue. The tail is grey-brown with 5 narrow stripes. The head is small and has a round and slightly flattened shape; the owl has no ears. Around the eyes of the pygmy owl are white and brown rings. The eyes of the bird are yellow, there are white eyebrows above the eyes. The claws of the pygmy owl are black or yellow in color. The paws are fully feathered, down to the claws.

House owl (lat. Athene noctua)

A small bird with a length of 25 cm and a weight of about 150-170 g. The color of the plumage of females and males is the same. The back of the bird has a light brown or sand color. Brown longitudinal variegated spots stand out on the white belly of the owl. Round white spots are located on the shoulder feathers.

The little owl lives in the south and in the center of Europe, in the north of Africa and in the southern Asian countries. In Russia, the owl is found mainly in the center and south of the European part, in the Southern Altai and Transbaikalia. Birds live in steppe and desert areas, build nests in stones and burrows. The little owl feeds on insects, lizards, rodents, and sometimes birds.

Barn owl (lat. Tyto alba)

It differs from other species of owls in its heart-shaped facial disc. The length of the barn owl reaches 34-39 centimeters with a wingspan of 80-95 cm. The weight of a bird of prey is 190-700 grams. The color of the barn owl is red with numerous transverse mottles, stripes and specks. In this case, the color depends on the habitat of the bird. The tail of the bird is short. The barn owl's ears have an unusual asymmetrical arrangement: if the left one is at the level of the forehead, then the right one approaches the nostrils. Thanks to this feature, the bird hears very well.

Barn owl lives on all continents, except for cold Antarctica. In Russia, lives only on the territory of the Kaliningrad region.

White owl (snowy owl) (lat. Bubo scandiacus, Nyctea scandiaca)

It has a body length of 55 to 70 cm, the weight of the bird is 2-3 kg. The wingspan reaches 143-166 cm. The color of the bird that lives in the tundra zone serves as a disguise for it, so white colors with dark spots predominate in it. The beak of the snowy owl is black, the eyes are bright yellow. The paws of the predator are completely pubescent.

The polar owl lives in Eurasia, North America, Greenland, on the islands of the Arctic Ocean. The white owl feeds on rodents, lemmings, hares, ermines, white partridges, geese, and fish. White owls are listed in the Red Book.

Hawk owl (lat. Surnia ulula)

It lives in forest regions in Europe, North America and Asia. In Russia, it is found in Kamchatka, in the Magadan region, in Chukotka, on the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk. It feeds on rodents (mice, lemmings, voles), sometimes preys on squirrels, hazel grouse, black grouse, partridges and other birds.

The length of the bird reaches 45 cm. The tail of the bird is long, the color is brown-brown with white spots, thin stripes are located at the bottom of the body. The eyes and beak of the hawk owl are yellow.

Where do owls live?

Owls live all over the world, not only in Antarctica. 17 species of owls live in Russia. A large number of these birds can be found in forests, and only a few of them live in open areas.

Basically, the owl lives in hollows and nests. The eagle owl finds a home almost everywhere: in forests, mountains, steppes and deserts. The long-eared owl lives in all sorts of fields, as it hunts in open areas, but it creates its nests only in the forest. The white owl lives in the tundra, flies far to the south in winter, does not like wooded places. The Great Gray Owl lives only in dense taiga forests. Owl species such as barn owl and little owl find a home under roofs and in attics.

What does an owl eat?

The question of what an owl bird eats in nature is of interest to many people. This bird, both in its natural habitat and in captivity, eats rodents, small birds, insects, and animals. The diet depends on the habitat of the owl. Medium to large owls feed on rats

The eagle owl is a very interesting nocturnal bird of prey, the lifestyle and habits of which, even today, are not fully understood by zoologists. Since ancient times, the owl bird has attracted people with its unusual beauty, mysterious appearance, but today owls are listed in, as they are on the verge of extinction. Our today's article is about them.

Owl - description, structure, characteristics. What does an owl look like?

Eagle owls are close relatives of owls. Although not even so, according to the zoological classification, they belong to the owl family, the subfamily of real owls and the genus of owls proper, we can say that the owls are the largest representatives of the owl family, and the common owl, in turn, is the largest of the owls and owls. Its height reaches 75 cm in length, and its average weight is about 4 kg.

But Fraser's owl is the smallest owl, having only up to 44 cm in length and no heavier than 815 grams.

An interesting fact: among owls, like many insects, there is sexual dimorphism - females are larger and heavier than males.

The physique of the owls is dense and stocky, the shape of the body is barrel-shaped, it is believed that it is so because of the thick and loose plumage that the owls possess. The legs of the eagle owl are short but strong, with long and tenacious black claws that serve to capture potential prey.

The wings of the eagle owl are powerful, long, their owners are excellent flyers. The wingspan of the eagle owl is 1.8-1.9 m.

The owl's head is very large, wide, has a rounded shape, besides, it has additional bunches of feathers, it is they that form what is called the "signature" ears of the owl.

The eagle owl's beak is usually short and strong, black in color, with a special hook at its tip, with which the bird makes special clicking sounds.

The plumage of the eagle owl is thick and lush. Usually eagle owls have a rusty brown or smoky gray color. The head and chest are often decorated with dark teardrop-shaped spots.

The owl's eyes are very large (one might even say huge), usually yellow, bright orange or red. The eyes themselves of these birds are well developed, moreover, eagle owls see perfectly from a greater distance, equally well, both at night and during the day. But they do not distinguish colors at all, the vision of owls is black and white.

In addition to good eyesight, eagle owls have even more excellent, sharp hearing, which has a kind of acoustic filter that will allow the bird to filter only the necessary sounds.

An interesting fact: the special anatomical structure of the owl's head allows him to quite calmly rotate his head 200 degrees without fear of twisting his neck.

Owl voice

Owl can boast of his rich sound and voice repertoire. Sometimes the "signature" hoot of an eagle owl can be heard at a distance of up to 4 km. Usually, eagle owls become “talkative” and noisy during their mating season, then the females begin to actively call to each other with their male cavaliers.

Eagle owl life span

The life of an eagle owl in the wild usually lasts about 20 years, but in captivity these birds have even lived to be 68 years old!

What is the difference between an owl and an owl

Although eagle owls and owls are close relatives, there are significant differences between them, which we will write about below.

Eagle owls are larger and more massive than owls, for example, the weight of an average owl is 4 kg, while the weight of an average owl is half as much - 2 kg.
Eagle owls can be distinguished by the characteristic "signature ears" growing on the head of feathers, and the owl's head is absolutely even.
The gastronomic preferences of owls and owls differ, if owls prefer to feast on various small rodents, then owls like to hunt larger game.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl

The owl, in fact, is an even smaller owl and therefore it is easier to distinguish it from the owl, the owl is small, the owl is large.
The owl, like the owl, does not have characteristic feather ears.
Many owls differ from their relatives, owls and owls, in that, unlike those, they lead a daytime lifestyle.

Where does the owl live

The habitat of eagle owls is very wide; they are found in most countries of Eurasia, Africa, North and South America. They usually settle in forest and mountainous areas.

Eagle owl lifestyle

Almost all eagle owls, with the exception of the northern ones, are sedentary birds. Northern eagle owls migrate south in winter in search of food.

How eagle owls hunt

Eagle owls are excellent hunters, besides, unlike the same owls, they are able to hunt equally successfully both day and night. Usually, the process of hunting for owls goes like this: making short flights, they look out for potential prey, and when such an owl catches its eye on its mountain, it quickly rushes at the victim, thrusts its sharp claws into its body.

An interesting fact: when hunting for fish, eagle owls can even dive into the water, diving for a while.

Small prey, field mice, other rodents, the eagle owl, as a rule, swallows whole, but the larger game is first torn apart with its claws.

What does an owl eat

The diet of the eagle owl largely depends on its species, so there are fish owls that successfully hunt fish and crabs. Speaking about the diet of the common owl, it is very diverse and includes rodents, hares, squirrels, marmots, snakes, even. A large common eagle owl may well attack such large living creatures as roe deer, deer, badgers, mountain goats

Owl Enemies

Under natural conditions, an adult owl has practically no enemies. But the main enemy of these beautiful birds (however, like many other animals) is, of course, a person. Many eagle owls die from the bullets of hunters-poachers, who specifically shoot them for the purpose of extracting feathers, claws and internal organs.

Types of owls, photos and names

At first, the snowy owl was identified by scientists as a separate species, but later ornithologists, after conferring, decided to attribute the snowy owl to the genus of owls. The polar owl is the largest representative of owls inhabiting the tundra, it reaches 70 cm in length and up to 3 kg of weight. The white color of these birds makes them almost invisible against the background of the northern winter landscape. The main food of the snowy owl is lemmings, these fluffy pilgrims, and the way of life, including the snowy owl, is largely associated with their famous migrations. Namely, in those years when many lemmings die due to migrations, snowy owls also stop breeding due to lack of food supply.

Another name for it is the Far Eastern fish owl, which denotes the habitat of this bird. The fish owl is also one of the largest representatives of the family of owls and owls, has a length of 70 cm and weighs about 4 kg. Its main food is fish and other seafood. The nests of these eagle owls are usually located in the hollows of old trees near the water.

Also known as the scarecrow. This is another large representative of the owl kingdom, living in a wide geographical area from Europe to China. The common owl settles, as a rule, in forests, but can live in the desert, mountains. It has many objects for hunting, according to zoologists, it feeds on only 300 species of birds and about 130 species of rodents, in general, these owls have everything in order with the gastronomic diversity.

The Bengal owl is medium in size, its body length averages 50-56 cm, and its weight is 1.1 kg. Its distinctive feature is the light color of the plumage of yellow-brown. It lives in such Asian countries as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma, is under the protection of the Indian authorities.

This species of eagle owl, which lives in America, was first discovered by white colonists in the territory of the modern state of Virginia, USA, for which it got its name. With its size, it is literally slightly inferior to the common European owl - its length reaches 63.5 cm. And this is the largest eagle owl on the American continent. It also differs in a variety of plumage colors, it can be rusty-brown, black, white, gray. The diet and lifestyle of the virgin eagle owl is very similar to those of European relatives.

Also known as spotted owl. On the contrary, it is a very small representative of the kingdom of eagle owls, it grows to a length of only 45 cm. The plumage of this owl is red-brown in color with white spots randomly scattered throughout the body. It lives, as its name suggests, on the African continent, in North Africa, but is also found on the Arabian Peninsula. Due to its small size, the main diet of this eagle owl is various large insects.

Also known as the Abyssinian owl. Previously, they were considered a subspecies of the African eagle owl, but later ornithologists identified them as a separate species. They have a light brown or smoky color with dark spots on the chest. They live in Africa, south of the arid desert of the Sahara.

Nepalese eagle owl, which lives in Asian countries of medium size, its body length is about 51-61 cm. It has a grayish-brown color, it is interesting that younger individuals of the Nepalese eagle owl are colored lighter than older representatives. Also, a special distinguishing feature of this type of owl is its voice, it is very similar to a human one. This feature of it often frightens the local population, which is why this bird was even nicknamed "ulama", which is translated from Nepalese as "devil bird".

Owl breeding

Sexual maturity in eagle owls is reached in the second or third year of life. And eagle owls are monogamous birds, creating strong families that do not break up even at the end of the mating season, a couple of owls “in love” continue to live and hunt together.

The mating ritual of eagle owls begins with the search for a partner, the female, as a rule, calls the male with a special hoot. Then there is a ritual feeding and kissing each other with beaks (of course, the "kissing" of the owls may be different than our understanding of this action).

Then the eagle owls arrange nests in the hollows of trees, they can also occupy other people's nests, depending on the species. After some time, the female begins to lay eggs, she does this with an interval of one to two days. Usually a full clutch of owl eggs is 4-5 eggs.

Eagle owl eggs are round and covered with a rough shell. The eggs are incubated exclusively by the female, while the male is engaged in the extraction of food for his family. After 32-35 days, small owls hatch from the eggs. Little owls are born blind and see only on the fourth day of life.

The first days of life, little owls are under the care and protection of the mother, who feeds and protects her cubs. After 5-7 weeks, eagle owl chicks are already able to make short flights, by the 8th week they can confidently fly short distances, and after another month they become ready for adult and independent life.

Eagle owls, like owls, are smart birds (it’s not for nothing that the owl was the personification of wisdom even among the ancient Greeks), some of the habits of these birds speak of their high intelligence. For example, if the eagle owl's nest is in danger, it circles around with its wings wide open, so as to appear larger and more terrible to its enemy.
Since ancient times, owls have been surrounded by various unkind human superstitions. So, for example, it was believed that an owl sitting on the roof of a house portends the imminent death of one of the household members. For the same reason, various sorcerers used the bones and skull of the owl for magical rituals.
According to scientists, an eagle owl is able to hoot more than 100 times a night.

Owl bird, video

And at the end of the video, a story about our today's hero, an owl.