The Great Horned OwlAnd

Loyalty

Think about how the great horned owl Think about how the great horned owl illustrates the characteristic of loyalty as illustrates the characteristic of loyalty as

you listen to the following story…you listen to the following story…

Question: Do you remember what baby owls are called?

Answer: If you said owlets then you are right.

The Range and Habitat of the Great Horned Owl

If you live in either North or South America there’s a pretty good chance that the Great Horned Owl lives where you live.

The great horned owl is not the only owl that makes it’s home in the United States. From left to right starting from the top is the snowy owl, barn owl, barred owl, great horned owl, long eared owl, screech owl, and short eared owl. These owls, among others, all inhabit portions of the United States.

Although not quite the largest of the North

American owls, the great horned owl has the

distinction of being the fiercest and most

powerful.

It is often referred to as the “tiger of the air.”

Crows and other birds consider owls as a threat and so will always keep a close eye on them and

try to drive them out of their territory.

FACT

Although the great horned owl has a large beak, few people would guess that its mouth actually extends from ear to ear.

!

Since it has no teeth, the owl must rely on its beak to tear its food into pieces. If its prey is small enough, however, the owl will simply swallow it whole.

Although the owl eats its food whole or in large pieces, it is unable to

digest parts of its prey such as the bones, teeth and hair. To get rid of

these parts the owl regurgitates or throws up these items in neat little packages called castings or pellets. Often an owl

will sit in the same tree to get rid of these pellets

every time and so these ‘owl pellets’ can be found

breaking down and littering the area under

their special tree.

If you find these pellets, it can be interesting to pull them apart to find out what the owl has been eating. If you’re

lucky, you may be able to piece together the skeleton to an entire rodent.

Owl Eyes and Vision

Pupils dilate in low light, allowing the owl

to see well at night.

When it gets brighter out, the owl’s pupils

contract, protecting the birds sensitive eyes.

How Owls SeeHow Owls See

Question: What, do you think, is the function of the owl’s third eyelid?

Answer: It is used to clean and moisten the owl’s eye. It’s kind of like a windshield wiper.

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Did you know that owls have a third eyelid?Did you know that owls have a third eyelid?

Owl Hearing

Owl Feet And Talons

Owls not only have incredibly strong and piercing talons, but are equipped with ‘nonskid’ pads on the bottoms of their feet, similar to those on sneakers. Combined, these

features give the owl phenomenal gripping power.

The Silent Owl!

Shhhhh!!!!

The leading edge of an owl’s wing feathers are frayed, which

allows them to fly silently.

We should learn from the Great Horned

Owl who uses all of

the assets it has to loyally

serve its young.