Wednesday, December 16, 2009

What I've learned about Owls

The screech owl at the zoo is named Pig. She's either
named for the owl in Harry Potter or because she
ate all of the other owls food
in her previous home.
She was a special visitor at our zoo class
this month.
Owl's wings are silent.
This allows them to
sneak up on their prey.
Their claws are strong enough to crush the
skull of mice.
Owls have no known predators. They eat rodents, and
when they are finished eating,
they throw up what is called
a pellet.
This pellet is filled
with everything that the owl's body can't digest.
It contains fur, bones, etc.
Scientists can study an owl pellet
to discover what
the owl has eaten
and to learn what kind of rodents are
around.
Our pellet contained lots
of little bones along
with some fur.
Brianne's (the teacher)
pellet contained a rat's skull
along with other bones.
The tufts on the top of
an owls head are not
ears. Owls use the feathers
to help them hear better.
An owl's ears are not
even. One is on the top part of the
head, the other is on the lower part
of the head.
This adaption allows the owl to
hear better. Much like a dog
who might tip it's head
to hear you better.
Owls made by kids are WAY
more colorful than owls we find in nature.
Boy do we learn a lot at our
zoo class.
If you'd like to dissect your own owl pellet,
try this web site:
www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm

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