OWLS Owls are patient birds of prey They blend in with their surroundings waiting listening and watching These raptors or meat eaters are silent hunters Their feathers allow nearly soundless flight Their huge eyes and super-sensitive hearing let them easily find and capture their surprised prey Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo 4
Owls have long been symbols of both good and evil In ancient Greece soldiers believed that seeing an owl before a battle gave them a good chance of victory Other cultures saw owls as symbols of death The birds were sometimes hunted and killed to keep them from causing trouble XTREME FACT In Greek mythology Athena the goddess of wisdom was often pictured with a little owl Athene noctua 5
SPECIES There are more than 200 owl species in the world North America is home to 20 of them Owls are divided into two categories by their Latin names Tytonidae and Strigidae Owls in the Tytonidae family have large heart-shaped faces and long legs ending in powerfully taloned feet They are commonly known as barn owls There are about 15 species of barn owls Common Barn Owl Tyto alba 6 6
Barred Owl Strix varia Owls in the Strigidae family are known as true owls These owls vary greatly in size They have large round faces with soft feathers that allow them to fly nearly silently 7 7
