happened so long ago that the owls are considered a symbol of wisdom and learning.And, of course, we can not agree that they are awesome birds.Owls are beautiful and mysterious.They can not be confused with any other birds.These nocturnal predators with large heads, large eyes, and plumage color patronizing became the heroes of many documentaries, movies and cartoons, fairy tales and songs.
Habitats
One of the members of the order is a short-eared owl owls.This bird, like others of the family under consideration, is worthy of due attention to the person.Their habitats are all the continents except Antarctica and Australia.In northern areas of continents it breeds, from the tundra to the steppe zones and semi-deserts.
it belongs to the genus eared owls.Unlike the other members of his unit, these birds live near swamps, meadows and fields as well as in the beams.Marsh owls build their nests in trees and on the ground - under a variety of shrubs, clumps of moss or old driftwood.
In winter, these birds fly south, but if the food will be enough, and can remain in place.
eared owl in the summer is a lone bird, usually resting on the ground.In the cold those individuals who did not fly away to warmer climes, grouped in packs and winter trees.This results from a lack of food or, conversely, if the food is present in excess.
Description eared Owls Owls
squad includes more than 220 large and medium-sized birds of prey.These include owls and marsh.Visually, they are a little smaller in size crows.Body length - about 35 centimeters, but a wingspan of up to 110!Females are usually larger than males.
Painting eared Owls have yellowish-white with a bit dark-brown on the belly and on his head has longitudinal streaks.On the head, feet and sides prevails white plumage.There are other colors - a red or gray shades.The eyes of these representatives owls lemon yellow.
Hunting & Food
eared Owl feeds mainly on small rodents, such as mice and voles, shrews and rats, rabbits and hamsters.In addition, it may include diet and small birds, insects, and sometimes even the fish and snakes.With such a lifestyle owl is a regulator of the number of different rodents.
subsistence mining occurs primarily at night, but it also happens in the morning and evening.These great predator fly, practically sitting down with the trees.Landing on the ground is carried out horizontally.Hunting, marsh owl hovering low over the open space, swooping on its prey.Leisurely and methodically circling the area at a height of two meters from the ground, the birds may notice prey even in tall grass.This helps them their remarkable sense of smell.
marriage between
time of reproduction in the marsh owl occurs in early spring, immediately upon arrival.After a study on their summer territories of the birds mating season begins.But if the food was plentiful, and the Owls representatives did not depart in warmer climes, the pairing may occur in the cabin.
enticing sounds like a male dead drumbeat.During mating the female food he presents to himself not to become a potential victim.Spinning around the chosen one, the male tries to show itself in all its glory.And this whole mating ritual lasts for a considerable amount of time.
breeding
Like all members of their own species, very serious approach to breeding and eared owl.Description of bird life stage is as follows.Owl nests are held annually in the same place.Each clutch comprises from four to seven egg white.The female incubates them twenty-one days.It should be noted that the value of the masonry affected by rodent population, as in the meager food on years of owls may not breed at all.
After the birth of the chicks are in the nest of another eighteen days, and then the father and mother of their finish feeding already outside the parental home.Sovyata born blind and deaf, their thickly covered with calf white fluff.After seven days start to fully operate the eyes and ears, and fluff replaced more adult plumage.
month after birth sovyata try to fly.Sexual maturity occurs at age one.In the wild, during the life of this species of owls reaches thirteen.
Owl enemies
Like all living beings on the planet, has its enemies and short-eared owl.Photos and videos captured by researchers argue that to fight them it is able to adequately.
The most inveterate enemies are terrestrial predators - foxes, wolves, striped skunks.Also very insidious predatory daily birds exterminating eared Owls in the daytime.These include falcons, hawks, eagles, golden eagles.Also, there are cases where killers owl became a crow.
course, owls show aggression if meet the enemy at their nest.Regardless of the size of the predator, they attacked him, beating its wings, claws and beak.There are many cases, as a result of attacks owl researchers received serious injuries and even killed.
Quite often both adult birds and chicks, to scare away the enemy, take a frightening posture - are spreading their wings and lean.Then they seem to be several times larger and scare small predators.
man's relationship to the owls
Oddly enough, but the man has always belonged to the owls in a special way.The reason for this is their "non-avian" appearance, and a mysterious way of life and a kind voice.All these qualities, which has full and short-eared owl, contributed to the emergence and spread among the people of superstitions and fears.
In the early twentieth century, many members of these birds could be met, and in densely populated areas (especially where the terrain is covered with shrubs), and near bodies of water.Nowadays, however, the number of Short-eared Owls in many parts of the world declined markedly.It was affected by non-permanent presence of rodents, which are the basis of their power.
human factor, albeit indirectly, also plays a role.Quite a number of Short-eared Owls are killed near airports in a collision with the aircraft.And in the middle of the summer and early autumn, many young animals are killed under the wheels of cars due to a bad habit for a long time did not take off at the sight of a moving vehicle (even with the head lights).
It is because of the rapid reduction of their numbers in some states have taken the necessary measures.For example, the legislation eared owl is protected in Belarus, the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as in some other countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
