Sandra Markle - On the Hunt with Owls

Sandra Markle

Lerner Publications Minneapolis

The animal world is full of predators.

Predators are the hunters that find, catch, and eat other animalstheir preyin order to survive. Every environment has its chain of hunters. The smaller, slower, less able predators become part of the prey for the bigger, faster, more cunning hunters. But everywhere, just a few kinds of predators are at the top of the food chain. These are the top predators. In nearly every habitat of the world, except Antarctica, this group includes one or more kinds of owls. Scientists currently list about different kinds of owls. Two of the largest are the Eurasian eagle owl and the great gray owl. Eurasian eagle owls are found in woodlands, grasslands, deserts, and mountainous areas throughout Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Great gray owls live in forests in North America, Scandinavia, Russia, and Mongolia.

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Great Gray Owl

eurasian Eagle Owl

eurasian Eagle Owl

Why are Eurasian eagle owls and great gray owls top predators? For one thing, the adults are big. Eagle owls may take prey as big as martens. Great gray owls may kill rabbits.

Females are even bigger than the males, but theyre still light enough to fly. An adult female Eurasian eagle owl has a body about inches (75 cm) long with a 6-foot-2 (188 cm) wingspan but only weighs about 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg). An adult female great gray owl has a body about inches (84 cm) long with a 5-foot (152 cm) wingspan but weighs about 2.8 pounds (1.3 kg).

Another reason these owls are top predators is because they fly very quietly. Thats perfect for surprising prey! These hunters are so stealthy because the edges of their wing feathers are fringed. Air rushing over the wing feathers of other kinds of birds during flight stirs air currents, which makes sounds. The fringed edges of an owls wing feathers dont stir air currents.

WOW!

A great gray owl has the longest tail of any type of owl.

Great Gray Owl

Great Gray Owl