Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 extant bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e.g., the Northern Hawk Owl). Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland and some remote islands. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament. Owls are characterized by their small beaks and wide faces, and are divided into two families: the typical owls, Strigidae; and the barn-owls, Tytonidae.
Read more about Owl: Anatomy, Behavior, Adaptations For Hunting, Evolution and Systematics, Use As Rodent Control, Conservation Issues
Famous quotes containing the word owl:
“The little owl flew through the night,
As if the people in the air
Were frightened and he frightened them,
By being there....”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“The eastern light our spires touch at morning,
The light that slants upon our western doors at evening,
The twilight over stagnant pools at batflight,
Moon light and star light, owl and moth light,
Glow-worm glowlight on a grassblade.
O Light Invisible, we worship Thee!”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman,
Which gives the stern’st good night.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)