Owls have been difficult to study because most of them are active only at night. During the day they sit stationary, camouflaged by their feathers. Even experts have difficulty spotting them and finding their nests. One surprising solution to this problem is to train dogs to detect the odor of the pellets disgorged by owls. The pellets are composed of the bones and other indigestible matter in the prey they swallow.
Here are some other amazing facts about owls that Ackerman tells us about:
• There are at least 260 species of owls.
• Some owls hoot while still in their egg.
• Not all owls hoot in the manner usually associated with owls. The author tells of one species whose call sounds like a ringing telephone.
• Snowy owls migrate north, not south, for the winter.
• In some species of owls, only the females migrate. The males stay put in order to claim the best nesting sites when the females return.
• Some captive owls must pass "mouse school" before they can be released. They are even given a final exam in which they must demonstrate an ability to capture living mice.
Ackerman, the author of The Genius of Birds, traveled the world to encounter many kinds of owls, and she talked with many of those who have devoted their lives to the study of owls. She tells us a lot about these creatures, the only birds whose eyes face forward, yet the mystery remains.
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