This large owl has distinctive feathers that look like ears. We learned that owls do not have ears, as we know them, but rather openings on the side of their heads, which transmit the sounds to them. Pat told us that these birds have excellent hearing and outstanding eyesight, although they don t see colors the way humans do. The great horned owl stood very still in Pat s gloved hand, and we got to see its sharp talons. Owls have 4 talons on each leg, which allow them to swoop down and quickly pick up their prey.
All birds of prey are meat eaters and they have sharp downward pointing beaks.
Owls swallow their food whole and then later spit up a pellet. The pellet is made up of undigested fur and bones. Depending on their size, owls are known to eat mice, rats, birds, cats, small dogs, raccoons, and even other owls. The children who wanted to were able to pet this very calm bard owl. We learned that owls have 14 neck bones, which allow them turn their heads three quarters of the way around.