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| Owls are a Hoot! |
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 … and a half! Ohio is home to more or less 12 owl species. Some owls “hoot” when they call to each other, but others make sounds like screams. The screech owl seems to say “Who? Who cooks for you?” Owls can be heard, and sometimes seen, at nature preserves and state parks all around Ohio.
Home Sweet Home
Most owls do not build their own nests. Instead, they move in on abandoned nests of hawks, eagles, herons, and squirrels. Others make themselves at home in cavities high in trees. Barn owls prefer to haunt old farm buildings. Some owls do not migrate south but rather brave the Ohio cold and snow.
Head Turners
One of the owl’s most amazing abilities is turning its head almost completely around, 270 degrees from the front - a handy skill when looking for prey. The owl’s eyes always point forward and are fixed in its head. The owl has to move its head so it can see side to side, and up and down. The owl’s neck is so flexible it can even see what’s going on behind it!
Believe it or not, the fluffy “ear tufts” that many owl species display on the tops of their heads are not ears at all - they are just for looks. The actual ear opening, known as an aperture (ap ur chur), is hidden under the feathers on each side of the head. The ear openings are offset – one is slightly higher than the other - so the owl can tell instantly if the sound is coming from the right side of its body, or the left.
The owl’s wide, flat face is part of its keen hearing. The owl’s broad, dish shaped cheeks, called facial discs, collect sound waves. The facial discs are covered with special small feathers that help direct sounds into the owl’s ear openings.
Being nocturnal has its benefits!
Owls are perfectly adapted for life in the dark. Besides having excellent hearing, owls have sharp eyesight and great night vision. Their eyes are large and bright, so they can gather any light that is available. They have binocular vision so they can focus on a spot from far away. Since most owls hunt at night, being able to see their prey in the dark is important.
Most birds have stiff wing feathers that make a swooshing sound when they flap. The owl’s feathers are lighter and softer at the edges, so they can take-off without making a sound, and swoop in silently to nab their prey.
Who Cooks For You?
An owl’s diet consists of a variety of rodents such as voles and mice. On occasion larger owls, such as the great horned owl, may hunt bats, small birds, flying squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits.
Owls cannot chew their food, and therefore swallow most of their meal whole. Their tummies cannot digest bones and fur, so what goes down must come back up! The owl regurgitates (ri gur ju tâts) the hard and furry bits in a fuzzy puff called an “owl pellet.” It may sound gross, but studying owl pellets can tell scientists a lot about the owl’s habits.
Facts, Folklore and Superstitions
Some owls have such incredible hearing that they can detect sounds from ten miles away, and use their ears to find a tiny vole tunneling under a foot of snow!
Imagine a great horned owl the size of a human – it would have eyes as big as oranges! No wonder owls look so intelligent.
Owls usually hunt alone, but when owls get together, the group is called a parliament.
Owls have always been considered mysterious and a bit spooky because of their nocturnal habits and super senses. For centuries, owls have been a part of folklore and superstitions. Some cultures consider owls lucky, while others think owls bring bad fortune.
In ancient Greek mythology, the owl was the symbol for Athena, the goddess of wisdom. The ancient Romans saw owls as omens of impending disaster. They believed the deaths of many famous Romans, including Julius Caesar, were predicted by the hoot of an owl.
While the early Greeks believed that spotting an owl before a battle predicted victory, the Romans army saw it as a sign of defeat.
Native American believed owls should be treated with respect. Some tribes worried that owls warned of sickness and death, while others welcomed owls as protective spirits, or the souls of departed relatives.
Can you hear like an owl?
Try this! Go outside with a friend. Stand facing each other. Now back up five steps. Ask your friend to whisper something. Now try cupping your hands behind your ears, and pushing your ears forward. Ask your friend to whisper again. Can you hear the difference?
This fall go out to your local Ohio state park and keep your eyes and ears open for a hoot or a glimpse of an owl! Be sure to visit our parks events page for owl prowls and more fall fun activities in our Ohio State Parks. |
| Photos from left to right: a juvenile screech owl takes a look outside a man-made nesting box; not all owls have yellow eyes, this Barred owl has black eyes; the ghostly Barn owl; the yellow eyes of a Great Horned owl; juvenile Great Horned owls napping in the sun, photo by Al Freeman. |
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