Transcript All About Owls - Griffin Theatre Arts

All About Owls
What is an owl?
• Owls are RAPTORS
which means they are
birds of prey. They
have sharp talons
(claws) and beaks to
catch their prey.
• Most owls are
NOCTURNAL, which
means that they hunt
at night.
• There are about 200
species (types) of owl.
Can you remember which owls
were mentioned in the story?
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Little owls
Barn owls
Short eared owls
Long eared owls
Tawny owls
Where do owls live? (Habitat)
• Different species of owls live
in different places.
• Many owls live in forests,
nesting in holes in tree
trunks.
• Some owls live in barns or in
deserted buildings.
• Snowy owls can live in the
freezing Arctic and they nest
on the ground.
• Owls can even live in cactus
plants in the desert!
What do owls look like?
(Appearance)
• Owls have sharp,
powerful talons (claws) to
help them catch and kill
prey.
• They have large heads and
soft, camouflaged
feathers.
• Some owls are are small
as 12 cm and others are as
huge as 60 cm.
What do owls eat? (Diet)
• Owls are
CARNIVORES.
• They eat insects and
small mammals such
as mice and voles.
• Some owls eat fish.
• There are even owls
who eat other birds.
Special features
• Because most owls hunt at
night, they have huge eyes
which are specially adapted to
let in more light.
• An owl can turn its head round
much further than humans can
but it can not move its eyes.
• Many owls have special
feathers on their wings so that
they can move silently. Why
would this be helpful?
• Owls also have amazing hearing
which they use when hunting.
An interesting fact…
• The tufts on top of the
owl’s head are not
actually its ears.
• An owl’s ears are on
the side of its head,
are often at different
heights and are
different sizes to help
the owl hear sounds
at great distances.
Talk to a partner …
• What 3 facts can you remember about owls?