Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Screech of the Owl

HAPPY OCTOBER, IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT OWLS AGAIN.... 
 
 AS BIRDS OF THE NIGHT, OWLS HAVE OFTEN BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MONSTERS, WITCHES, AND THE COMING OF DEATH IN MANY NATIVE CULTURES OF NORTH AMERICA. ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES THE CALL OF AN OWL MIGHT BE AN OMEN OF ILL FORTUNE, OWLS WERE NOT ALWAYS SEEN AS BEARERS OF BAD TIDINGS. THE SCREECH OWL OFTEN NESTED CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF AN INDIAN VILLAGE, GIVING A DISTINCTIVE CALL WHEN SOMEONE DISTURBED IT LATE AT NIGHT. THE OWL WAS KNOWN AS THE VILLAGE GUARDIAN-ONE WHO GIVES WARNING AGAINST DANGEROUS INTRUDERS. 
 
 PERHAPS OWLS ARE POPULAR IN STORIES BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE SMALL HUMANS.OWLS STAND UPRIGHT. THEIR SLANTING BEAKS LOOK ALMOST LIKE HUMAN NOSES. OWLS STARE WITH HUGE, UNBLINKING EYES. THEY MAY APPEAR WISE OR STUDIOUS. THE TRUTH IS ,OWLS ARE NO MORE OR LESS WISE THAN ANY OTHER BIRDS. THEY ARE JUST SKILLFUL HUNTERS WITH SPECIAL TOOLS, INCLUDING AMAZING EYES. 
 
 MOST OWLS HUNT AT NIGHT. THE WAY THEY SKIM MEADOWS OR SWOOP THROUGH FORESTS ON SILENT WINGS ADDS TO THEIR AURA OF MYSTERY. OFTEN, THE ONLY CLUE OF AN OWL'S PRESENCE IS A SPINE-CHILING SHRIEK OR A GHOSTLY WHOO-WHOO-WHOO OWLS CALL TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER OWLS. THEY DO NOT BRING NEWS OF ANY KIND TO PEOPLE- EXCEPT THE GOOD NEWS THAT AN OWL LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
 
 THEIR ARE OVER 150 SPECIES OF OWLS WORLDWIDE. NINETEEN SPECIES LIVE IN NORTH AMERICA.OWLS IN OUR AREA NEAR OLD TOWN SPRING ARE THE GREAT HORNED OWL, THE BARN OWL, AND THE EASTERN SCREECH OWL. 
 
 OWLS ARE MEAT-EATERS. THEY FEED ON ANIMALS THAT FEED ON OTHER ANIMAL OR PLANTS. LARGE OWLS TEND TO HUNT LARGE PREY. GREAT HORNED OWLS EAT PRACTICALLY ANYTHING MEATY THEY CAN CATCH, FROM RABBITS AND SKUNKS TO INSECTS AND OTHER OWLS. SOME OWLS HUNT SMALL PREY, SUCH AS INSECTS, SPIDERS, AND SCORPIONS. OTHER SMALL BUT FIERCE OWLS CATCH BIRDS, REPTILES, AND MAMMALS ALMOST AS LARGE AS THEMSELVES. 

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