Of all the brownies owls owls are most prevalent.They live in the western part of Europe, North Africa and South Asia, and create a nest in the plains, in the mountains, whose height sometimes reaches 3000 meters.In the north, the birds are very fond of flat landscapes, and in the south give preference to the steppes, deserts and semi-deserts.The number of these birds is very large, and sometimes just enormous.
Description
Brownies owls several stand out among the other species on several grounds.From the scoop, they differ little feathered fingers and they do not have "ears" from Sichik sparrow - size, but from Upland owl - dense plumage and longitudinal colorful feathers on his head.
Color slightly brown, with a hint of olive.The nails are dark, brown color.The bill is a little bit yellowish.The bird has a special look - look askance if his big yellow eyes.
Dimensions
These birds are not too small in size.Little Owl, a photo which you can see in the article, weighing about 160-180 grams, the length of its body is 23-28 cm, wing - 15-18 cm, sweep them - 57-64 cm.
tend to have sexdifferences, females are slightly larger than males.Met, two birds pose a constant and a couple are together, even if you do not come during the breeding season.Arrange places for breeding themselves, sometimes digging small holes or lay their eggs in holes in different buildings, cliffs.
Brownies owls: reproduction
The breeding season begins in April or end of March, depending on the habitat owl.In one laying four or five eggs, but sometimes eight.The female incubates them for about a month.When the chicks is four weeks, they fly away from the nest.Adult sizes they reach the age of one and a half months.Some time grown chicks are held together until they find a mate.
Power
Owl - a nocturnal bird of prey, but sometimes he takes off on the hunt and at dusk.His diet includes a variety of rodents, lizards, worms and even frogs and reptiles, insects and small birds.However, if the owl sees any rodent, you do not even pay attention to other prey, next to him.This bird catches mainly mice and voles.These are the eating habits.
little owl, pictures of which are presented in this article, it has strong clawed paws.This allows him to hunt animals on its own weight without compromising himself.In the deserts of the victims of owls are often sand and large jerboa.The holes that remain after rodents caught this bird of prey, they rest, and it also happens that arranges its nest.It turns out that they occupy another's homes and take tribute from the owners of the home.Brownies owls deserve praise from the man.That's because they destroy our agriculture pests.
addition to brownies owls, there are other kinds of birds of prey of the family owl.And we look at them now.
horned owl
This bird has a large and broad head, which has a small fountain ears.Eyes small owl, beak is weak, yellow, wings, long (15-19 cm) wide, the tail is short.The feet are covered with thick feathers.The length of the body is 21-27 cm, weight - about 1,200 grams.Females legged, like brownies owls are larger than males.Color gray, sometimes brown, with streaks on the neck and head.The abdomen is white with brown longitudinal pattern.
aegolius common in the mountains and on the plains of coniferous forests in Asia, Europe and North America.It is also found in Russia, the Caucasus, the Alps, in western China, in the Balkans.This sedentary bird species.Northern birds are diurnal, and the south is mainly nocturnal.
The breeding season begins in mid-April.The female lays one clutch of four to six egg white.Incubates them for over a month.Nesting period lasts approximately thirty days.They make their dwellings in the hollows of large trees.They hunt mainly in small rodents, but can eat insects and small birds.
Owl billed
As you know, the family of owls are very diverse, and the males have fewer females.And this view is no different from the others.However, they are slightly smaller in size than the above bird.The body length of 15-18 cm bird, wings - 9-11 cm, and the scope of their - 35-40 cm. Weigh these little Sichik 60-80 grams.Stained brown feathers, with a grayish tinge and white mottled.The claws have black and yellow beak.Fingers covered with thick feathers.
pygmy owl lives mainly in coniferous forests of northern Asia and Europe.In Russia, it can be seen in Arkhangelsk, on the Kola Peninsula, Siberia and Sakhalin, as well as in the Altai, the Ryazan region, Trans-Baikal.This species is also settled.Owls arrange their nests mainly in the birch and aspen.The number of eggs depends on the abundance of food.In Russia Sichik often lay two or three eggs are white, and in Europe - from four to six, sometimes even seven pieces.The breeding season begins in late April.But grown chicks can be seen in August.
Nutrition and hunting
Hunting Sichik occurs during the day and at dusk and at dawn.The diet of these small predators primarily consists of rodents (lemmings, hamsters, mice, both forest and houses), and they are not averse to try shrews.Very fond of, and insects, but it is better suited to treat grown chicks.By the way, it is very characteristic of what they hoard food, especially in winter.Store the birds collected food in their hollows.
Sichik elf
For a description of this bird is very similar to a sparrow owl.Only this Sichik just tiny, as its body size make only 12-14 cm. Despite this, he has a pretty big head, but weak claws and beak.This is probably the fact that he only eats small invertebrates.He rounded wings.Color, as well as all other owls, gray-brown with white markings.The claws and beak - a pale brown color.
Sichik elf - a sedentary bird.He lives in the desert of Mexico and the United States.Their nests are satisfied at a height of two meters or more, and only in the hollows of saguaro cacti that hollow woodpeckers.Sometimes even so, that one plant lives several different birds, including Sichik.One clutch is two to five eggs, but usually only three.This nocturnal bird of prey that hunts only at night and feeds exclusively on insects.
burrowing owl
As strange as it may sound, but it's kind of bird - ground.They inhabit only open spaces of America, Canada and Argentina.Happy bird sitting in their burrows and are rarely fly out hunting.Flight from them is very low, just above the ground.But the air is almost impossible to see them, they run mostly on their long legs.They make their nests in holes that mammals left.The length of their residence may reach four meters.Owls settle in groups, which are located close to each other.Nesting season they have held since March and ending August.The number of eggs in one clutch can be from two to eleven.They hatch their young for about four weeks.And by the way, the male at this time is in the hole adjacent to the one where the female sits on the eggs.
This kind of owls is a very interesting color - a reddish-brown-gray with speckles.Eye color - yellow.The beak is pale greenish-gray legs the same color, only the sole yellowish.The length of these birds only 23 cm and wings - 16 cm, but in the scope of all 50. Tail very short, only 7 cm.
Since they live exclusively on land, more precisely, in the ground, it is very prone to various hazards.So that they can protect themselves and their offspring, Mother Nature gave them an interesting voice.They make sounds like the crackling of a rattlesnake.And thus earned the nickname in the home "night owl - a rattlesnake."It is also the only one of its kind in the owl, which lives on the ground and has an interesting habit of pulling the neck, to explore the surroundings.
They eat not only small rodents and birds, but also fruits, various seeds cactus.
This species is on the verge of extinction due to the fact that its representatives settle in holes in the ground.Every year, their number decreases, the kind requires the restoration and protection.
small conclusion
All birds owl family are very interesting and have their own characteristics.After all, their views still differ from each other.Someone larger in size, others longer strong wings or legs with huge claws, which they seize their prey.They are all beautiful in their own way, and some individuals and does need protection rights.In addition, the owls are very useful because they make a good exterminating rodents, thus saving our crops.
