The Enigmatic Owl: Nature's Nighttime Whisperer

The owl is a mysterious creature belonging to the birds of prey family. It flies stealthily while almost all creatures are asleep, and its voice is strong and eerie. Some think of it as frightening, even malevolent, but in reality, not only is it harmless, it is quite beneficial.

The owl has a large head, big eyes, a short and sturdy body, and a hooked sharp beak. Its legs are strong, and its talons are sharp. Most of its features resemble its "relatives" among birds of prey such as the eagle, falcon, and vulture.

The owl typically resides at the top of a tree in the forest. This is the ideal spot for it, as it sleeps during the day and needs the cover of leaves for camouflage, and at night it requires a good vantage point to hunt its prey.

No Need for Glasses Here

The image of the owl has often been featured in children's tales. Writers have tried to portray it as wise by adding glasses, but in reality, not only does it not need glasses, its vision is the sharpest among all creatures!

The Creator blessed the owl with particularly large eyes, allowing it to see well in the darkness when it comes out to hunt. While most birds have eyes on the sides of their heads, the owl's eyes are placed side by side. They look forward, both in the same direction, just like humans. However, unlike humans, the owl cannot look sideways! Its eyes are fixed, gazing only forward. If it wants to look to the side, it must move its entire head in the desired direction. While humans can turn their heads up to 90 degrees, an owl can rotate its head 270 degrees—and at an impressive speed! This often confuses observers as to which direction the owl's body is actually facing, creating a comical scene where its head is above its back.

Silent and Surprising Hunter

The hunting method of the owl is fascinating! Its feathers are made of soft down, which silences any noise created by its flight. It flies silently, without making even the slightest rustle of wings. Sometimes it seems as if the owl appeared out of nowhere, allowing it to pounce on its prey with complete surprise, leaving the victim completely unaware of the impending danger. Importantly, when the owl is very close to the ground, even a slight sound from its flight would send its prey scurrying to hiding places, making hunting extremely difficult.

The owl's hearing is also astounding. The owl has feathers protruding from the sides of its head, but these are not ears as one might think. The owl's ears are located on the sides of its head and covered with movable skin flaps known as "disks." With these disks and the feathers surrounding the ear, the owl can focus on different sounds from various directions and channel them into its ear, much like a "funnel." This allows the owl to hear the rustle of a mouse stepping on grass from 22 meters away!

Owls are the most skilled nighttime hunters among birds. When the sun sets and the eagle and hawk are asleep, the owl begins its day—or rather, its night. Although the owl, like the eagle and hawk, hunts in the same areas and preys on the same animals, it requires different traits from daytime predators due to the darkness during its activity. It doesn't need sharp long-distance vision like the hawk, but flies low, close to the ground, carefully observing and listening to every sound and movement.

The owl has sharp, formidable jaws. Once the owl grasps its prey, its chances of escape are slim. When it attacks, it spreads all eight of its toes wide and sinks them into its victim. This increases the owl's chances of successfully capturing its prey, as in the profound darkness and the incredible speed needed to surprise the victim, the prey could easily escape if not held tightly by the owl's sharp talons.

In this way, the Creator has endowed the owl with incredible adaptations for its nocturnal life.

Ecological Benefits

Owls and their kin benefit farmers by destroying large amounts of various pests that cause significant crop damage. Without owls, these rodents would overrun the farmers' fields and granaries, where the grain is stored, and devour everything. Unfortunately, farmers sometimes unknowingly harm owls by spraying fields to eliminate weeds, insects, and rodents, unknowingly poisoning the owls that eat these small creatures. As the poison builds up in their bodies, it eventually kills them.

Nesting Habits of the Lazy

Owls are not expert nest builders. They are sloppy, lazy, and don't mind living in a messy, untidy nest situated in a barn, ancient ruin, or atop a tree. Sometimes, they even take over nests abandoned by other large birds.

Owls live in pairs, dividing the household duties. The female typically lays between 3 to 4 eggs a year, and her role is to brood them. The male brings food for the chicks until they learn to fly and reach a stage where they can feed themselves.

The owl parents are very dedicated to defending the nest and ensuring that their offspring are well-fed. They are fearless when it comes to protecting their chicks. They will swoop onto anything that threatens the tranquility of their nest, fiercely attacking with their sharp talons.

Owl chicks develop slowly and stay with their parents until around three months old. After that, they find their own hunting grounds, where they can lead long lives that can exceed twenty years.