There are 9 species of owls. Here's how they differ from each other (10 photos)

Before deciding how an owl, an eagle owl and an owl differ, let’s find out what each of them is, study their external characteristics, habits, lifestyle and behavioral characteristics.

They are all unusual nocturnal birds. In addition, they are predators and look completely different from their other feathered relatives.

So, let's find out how an owl differs from an eagle owl and an owl.

Who is Sych in youth slang?

Sych, Sychevat is a meme of the Dvach imageboard, meaning a young man who sits at home all the time (usually living with his parents), spending the vast majority of his time on the Internet on imageboards, and does not communicate with anyone in reality. The corresponding behavior is called "bowing".

Interesting materials:

Is it possible to put a Christmas tree in water? Can jars be sterilized in boiling water? Is it possible to wash without hot water? Is it possible to wash without water? Is it possible to compress water with a press? Is it possible to extinguish live electrical installations with water? Can you put out a fire with water? Is it possible to stew in a slow cooker without water? Is it possible to cook with tap water? Is it possible to cook soup from hot water?

How does an owl differ from an eagle owl, an owl: comparison, difference

The owl is a bird of prey of the owl family. They come in two types:

  1. Barn owls - barn owls, etc.
  2. Owls - eagle owl, scops owl, tawny owl


The genus of eagle
owls and owls are also owls. The largest representative of this group of birds is the eagle owl . It is impressive in size, has maneuverability, and can change direction in flight even at high speed. Hunts large prey. The only thing is that it can now rarely be found in the vastness of nature, which is why it was listed in the Red Book.

Owls come in different sizes, colors and types. Each group of birds is characterized only by their own appearance. Some species of owls (fish owl, long-eared) have ears, however, like the eagle owl, it is by these characteristics that it can be distinguished. The large bird does not have a round disc on its face like the owl and owl.


Owl family. What size, birds?

Characteristic differences of birds of this breed:

  1. The eagle owl, unlike the owl (except for some species), has feathered ears, impressive size, and unusual plumage in the head area.
  2. Almost all owls and owls have a frame in the form of a corolla, equally hard, short feathers. Fili does not have such a disk.
  3. The owl flies quietly, and the eagle owl creates whistling sounds when flying.
  4. The owl hunts mice and other small animals. The eagle owl can even hunt roe deer.

How does an owl differ from an eagle owl, an owl in size, wingspan: photo

Owls come in different sizes - the largest of them is the eagle owl, while the owl is a very small bird. An adult eagle owl weighs approximately four to five kilograms. Its length can reach almost 73 centimeters. When an eagle owl flies, its wingspan is 150 centimeters, and sometimes two. Interestingly, females are larger than males; the bird can weigh one and a half kilograms more.


White Owl

The long-eared owl is also somewhat similar to an eagle owl , but its size is significantly inferior to that of a bird of prey. And its flight is not audible because its relative has soft short feathers that frame the ends of its wings.

The owl is not a large bird. The body length of the owl representative is about 23 centimeters. The color may vary in this breed, depending on the subgroup of the bird. Females are also somewhat larger than males; they do not have the ears characteristic of eagle owls on their heads.


Great Sparrow Owl

IMPORTANT : The lifespan of birds in the natural environment is approximately ten years; in captivity, an owl lives much longer. Sometimes this period reaches forty years. All this happens due to the fact that in the natural environment the owl does not survive for long due to its extermination by hawks, golden eagles, etc.

Lifestyle

The owl prefers to stay away from forests, preferring to hunt exclusively in open areas.

The little owl settles on the outskirts of villages and villages, or in their central part. The bird chooses its place of residence:

  • Destroyed buildings.
  • Abandoned premises.
  • Stone walls of castles.
  • Palm groves (refer to the place of residence in southern countries).

The little owl prefers to settle on the plain; such a representative of the bird family cannot be found in the mountains.

A favorite place to observe an owl can be:

  • The top of a willow tree has been cut down.
  • High fence.
  • Telephone pole.
  • Wires.

At its observation point, the bird can sit without moving for quite a long time. Once you scare the owl, he will immediately rush to quickly leave his home.

The flight path characteristic of an owl is a wavy line.

What is the difference between an owl and an owl in singing?

Especially during the warming period, when nature wakes up outside after winter, owls often screech. The tone of their voices is somewhat sad, dreary, and monotonous. And for others it is melodic. The eagle owl pronounces woo-oo-o with an eerie echo, thereby inviting the female. Many people who hear such bird cries often get scared. Although this sound does not threaten them with anything terrible. Female eagle owls scream - hoo-hoo.

The owl's sounds are slightly different from other representatives of owls. To mark the boundaries of the territory, the owl makes sounds similar to croaking. When they fly to the nests, they make a high-pitched sound. In case of alarm, they shout and tweet.


Thorn-footed owl

Population and species status

All three species of owls that represent the genus “Athene” do not currently cause any concern that they may be on the verge of extinction. The total number of such birds is at a constantly high level, especially since their habitat is quite extensive. In addition, scientists are confident that nothing and no one can interfere with these birds in their life activities even in the foreseeable future. Owls only at first glance have a clear resemblance to owls and eagle owls, since they are significantly smaller in size. Owls have a unique brownish-sandy coloration of their plumage, which allows them to be invisible while living in natural conditions. Many people have heard the cry of owls, but not all of them were able to see the bird at close range. Local residents of Central Russia, as well as residents of India, believe that the voice of an owl indicates that misfortune should soon be expected in the family. Siberians, on the contrary, consider the voice of an owl to be a good signal that will not allow the hunter to get lost in a deep forest, pointing in the right direction. Despite various speculations that have no basis, these birds deserve respect. This is especially true for species that can settle next to humans. In 1992, an image of a little owl appeared on a banknote weighing 100 guilders, which is evidence of special attention paid to this bird.

Owl diet

Among hunters in the old days, there was a point of view that owls only eat pheasant chicks. This version is not entirely correct: for everyday food the bird chooses:

  • Mice.
  • Earwig.
  • Zhukov.
  • Earthworms.
  • Butterflies.
  • Frogs.
  • Small sized birds.

The peak activity of the little owl occurs at dusk and early morning, at which time it hunts. During the daytime, the owl's favorite prey is small birds.

Each owl prefers to choose an observation point during the hunt, which is trees - the ground is clearly visible from them, and a lot of food can be found in the tree branches. Seeing the prey item, the bird quickly moves away from its perch and attacks it from above.

The owl can also look for food in fallen leaves and dry grass. If the prey is in a hurry to escape from the owl, it runs after it. Often the little owl attacks its food on the fly, or pulls it out of the ground (worms). When there is a surplus of food, the owl makes reserves. But sometimes there may be dark days in a bird’s life, and then it will not disdain the nests of other birds.


Little owl

How does an owl differ from an eagle owl, an owl in appearance: photo

The eagle owl has characteristic features in appearance that are unique to this genus of owls. As mentioned above, it is a predator with ears, thanks to which it perceives sounds in a range that is almost four times greater than the sound range of mammals.

The head of all these predators is round and large in comparison with the body. The feathers of the eagle owl have a reddish tint on the front side. And on the head and back there are black stripes, which allows the bird of prey to camouflage itself.


Eagle owl - what does it look like?

The owl is small in size and has no ears. It has variegated colors and large expressive eyes. Its beak, like all owls, is curved in the form of a hook, its claws are very sharp, thanks to them the bird successfully hunts.


Owls - family of owls

IMPORTANT : In the owl order there are more than two hundred species of birds, varying in size and appearance. But all these birds have large eyes that look only forward due to the fact that owls do not have eyeballs.

Types of owls

The tawny owl has a large number of species. Let's consider the main ones:

Gray owl. A distinctive feature of this species is a black spot under the beak, which looks like a beard. This is where the name “bearded” comes from. The predominant color of the Great Gray Owl is grayish-brown. There are pronounced dark rings on the eyes. Hunts in daylight.

Common owl. The most famous species to inhabit Europe. The tawny owl's plumage is brown with dark stripes. The owner of rings around the eyes. The owl is awake at night and huddles in its nests during daylight hours.

Great-tailed owl. This species is similar in appearance to the tawny owl. They are distinguished only by the absence of pronounced dark rings around the eyes.

Barred owl. Popular in North America. The external difference from other species is in color. The owl's feathers are bright brown with white stripes. Exclusively nocturnal bird.

Why do owls, owls and eagle owls hunt only at night?

Most owls fly out to hunt at night. This is my favorite time of day for this range of things. However, not all birds prefer to hunt at night; many do this during the day. The eagle owl and owl get their food both at night and during the day.

It all depends on where you live. Those representatives of the owl family that live in the North cannot divide the day into day and night, because there daylight hours can last for six months.

Despite the fact that owls have better vision at night, they also see well during the day. But there is a certain peculiarity of the predator’s vision; more precisely, the bird sees very poorly close up, but excellently far away.


Long-eared owl - night hunting

Predators are able to perceive the heat transmission of the prey, ultrasounds. Thanks to this, they can easily spot their prey. To catch it, it is enough for the owl to fly up silently and use its claws and beak.

The eagle owl catches prey due to its quick reaction and sharp vision. In flight, it rises high in order to see the prey from afar, even in secluded places, and then quickly catch it.

Rating
( 2 ratings, average 4.5 out of 5 )
Did you like the article? Share with friends:
For any suggestions regarding the site: [email protected]
Для любых предложений по сайту: [email protected]