What does an owl eat in the forest? What do owls eat?

Most people, everything that happens under the cover of night, considers mysterious and mysterious. Animals and birds, leading the night way of life, were perceived earlier as envoys of the higher forces, and not always benevolently attuned to the person. With owls, as with any other bird of our planet, there are many beliefs, legends, myths and signs. Not knowing exactly where and how he lives, what an owl eats in the forest, people come up with the strangest versions that do not have real facts. Starting from legends and fictions, different peoples formed a diametrically opposite attitude to owls; Some worshiped them as deities and called winged cats, while others considered them to be the earthly embodiment of dark forces.

General biological characteristics of the species

Any of the representatives of owls refers to the class of birds, the family of owls ordinary and owl, which are part of the squadron of owls. Depending on the species, the weight of these birds can vary from 120 g to 4.5 kg, and height - from 20 cm in a passerine's nestling to 65 cm in a white polar owl. Birds of this order are widely distributed in nature and live in almost all natural areas where they lead the majority of their nightlife. Owls live about 12-18 years.

Appearance

In all representatives of owls, the appearance is quite similar and easily remembered due to such features as:

• Large heads;
• Large eyes surrounded by fan-shaped plumage;
• Vertical landing by "column";
• Studded with hairy feathers.

Species inhabiting Russia

In our country there are 17 species of the family of owls. Consider the most common of them, what they are, and where and how the owl lives, what it prefers to eat.

Owl

The largest of all Sovi-owls (Bubo bubo) prefers to live in the deaf forests, and in the 20th century, as the number of such places disappeared, its population declined significantly. It differs in large orange or yellow eyes, as well as with characteristic "ears" of feathers. Often, these birds are confused with long-eared owls, but the latter are much inferior to the filillas in size. Jerzy, rodents, hares, small and medium birds - sparrows, ducks, wood grouse and black grouse - that's what owls of this species eat.

Polar (white) owl

It is also a fairly large bird with plumage predominantly white with the inclusion of dark feathers, which allows it to mask well, with a round head and yellow eyes. It lives in the north of the European part of our country, in Siberia, but the greatest number of these birds is observed in the tundra. The main food of the owl of this species is lemmings, but it will not refuse from partridges and hares. It simply swallows small prey, but such uncomfortable food as hedgehogs, crushes with its beak.

Bearded Owl

One of the largest owls, whose body length can reach 80 cm, and the wingspan - reach up to 1.5 m. A feature of these birds is a black wedge-shaped spot under the beak, on the chin, which gave the name to this species. Its natural habitat is the taiga forests of Siberia and the Urals, but due to the fact that it reproduces remarkably in nurseries, it is now possible to meet it in the forests of the central part of Russia. Various small rodents and small birds - that's what an owl eats in the forest.

Swamp Owl

Bird of medium size, living in open spaces and hunting even during the day. It is found on all continents, except for Australia. You can meet her in the steppe regions, tundra, taiga. The main condition: near there must be wet and marshy areas. The diet of marsh owls includes small rodents, birds, insects, small snakes and even fish.

Screech-owl

The most common species in forest and forest-steppe regions of North America and Eurasia. This is a fairly small bird, comparable in size to the pigeon, but due to feathering it looks much larger. The feather cover is mottled, with a predominance of rusty-brown flowers. Its name was given to this type of owls by rather long "ears", which consist of long feathers. To answer the question about where the long-eared owl lives and hunts, what feeds on, it is quite simple. In Russia, it lives almost everywhere, where there are forests, and in urban parks and squares it is quite possible to meet it. Hunt she prefers at night and preferably in the open. For hunting, she uses an additive - a tree, fence or pillar, sitting on which, she tracks down her prey. If this way to track down no one can, then the owl goes on flying over its hunting grounds. Different kinds of rodents - that's what the owls of this species eat.

Hawk Owl

As the name implies, this bird looks like a hawk, both in coloring of plumage, color of eyes, and manner of flight. It differs in appearance from all other representatives of owls. Her head is small, and her eyes are not as large as other owls. The plumage of the hawk owl is rigid and tight against the trunk. She lives in the north of Europe and Asia, and in North America. Prefers high and coniferous forests. This bird can live a settled life, but in the event of unfavorable conditions it can migrate. Its main diet is various rodents. Rats, shrews, lemmings and vole mice are what an owl eats in the forest. A hawk-owl can attack and eat various small birds, such as tap-dancing, partridge, black grouse.

Brownie Owl

The bird is of medium size, its feathers are brownish-brown in color, and the eyes are black. The peculiarity of this species is the head, which is more flattened than that of the other owls, and also the diffuse contour of the facial disc. To live this species prefers in the forest-steppe zone, but it also settles with pleasure in human buildings. The owl hunts for various small rodents.

Moongnar owl

It refers to small owls, its height does not exceed 20 cm. It lives in coniferous and deciduous forests, preferring to remain unnoticed. Shrews, mice, insects and small birds - that's what the owl eats in the forest.

Passer Little Savior

This is the smallest representative of the ovoid, a little larger than an adult sparrow. His color is gray-brown, with a lot of pestrin, and his eyes are yellow. Just like the oyster-owl, prefers to live away from people and noise, in dense forest areas. Hunting can be like at night, and during the day. Information about him is not enough, since the passerine's son is very secretive and it is practically impossible to establish supervision over him.