Owls are a group of birds that are members of the order of Strigiformes. This bird is a class of birds (carnivores, meat eaters) and is a night animal (nocturnal). Altogether, there are about 222 known species, spreading all over the world except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and some remote islands.
In the western world, this animal is considered a symbol of wisdom, but in some places in Indonesia it is considered a bearer of deathless preview, hence the name Owls. However not everywhere in the archipelago this bird is called an owl. In Java for example, the name of this bird is darès or manuk darès which has no connotation with death or ghost. In North Sulawesi, the owl is known as Manguni.
Owls are known for their large, forward-faced eyes, unlike most other birds whose eyes are facing sideways. With a crooked beak of tajams like the eagle's beak and the arrangement of feathers on the head forming a circle of faces, the "face" look of the owl is so impressive and sometimes creepy. Moreover, the bird's neck is so flexible that its face can rotate 180 degrees backwards.
Generally owl feathers dotted, brownish or gray with black and white patches. Combined with his often statuesque and immobile behavior, this bird is not easily visible; so even when sleeping during the day under the protection of the leaves.
The owl tail is generally short, but its wings are large and wide. Its wingspan reaches about three times its body length.
*. This bird can swim
Photographer Steve Spitzer managed to take a video at Loyola Park Beach, Chicago, USA, when a large horn owl swam across the lake. This bird avoids the attack of two predatory eagles by entering into the water.
*. Not all owls are active at night
The owl is famous for its nocturnal lifestyle (active at night), but it turns out some are not.
Some owls have diurnal behavior, meaning they hunt during the day, such as large gray owls (Strix nebulosa), northern eagle owls (Surnia ulula) and northern dwarf owls (Glaucidium gnoma).
Perhaps the owl is a hunter during the day because of prey of choice, such as singers or small mammals who also behave diurnal. In addition, the owl is a close relative of the eagle, which is a diurnal bird.
*. Extraordinary neck
Owls have 14 parts of the neck vertebra, 2x more than humans. This unique anatomy helps the owls rotate their heads up to 270 degrees.
Owls can do that because their spine has a hole about 10 times the size of a carrier's blood vessels. That way, a lot of wiggle space, the artery can easily pass through the vertebrae when the owl turns.
This ability is the key to bird survival: Owls can not easily move their eyes, so they need a great neck-twisting ability.
*. The largest type of ghost is extinct
The largest recorded ghost is a giant owl from Cuba (Ornimegalonyx) that has become extinct.
Experts are not sure whether the 1.1-meter-high owl can fly. But his strong and long legs indicate that it is a strong and fast runner. And if this animal can fly or glide in the air, it will be one of the largest aviation birds ever known in the wildlife world.
Researchers have discovered the remaining Arnegalegalonyx in Cuban caves, usually surrounded by birdwatching remains, including sloths and extinct rodents known as hutias.
*. Owls help to reconcile the Middle East
Barn owls (Tyto alba) bring peace to the Middle East, or at least they bring together scientists and peasants on both sides to fight and cooperate with each other.
This bird is a predator and mole catcher danvole (a rat but more fat), which encourages farmers in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories to work together to install boxes for owls can nest.
A pair of owls can eat up to 6,000 mice per year, meaning that farmers do not need to use as much pesticide toxins to protect their crops. Collaboration is continuing, and a pilot program between Israel and Cyprus is already under way.