Owls Overhead

Owls Overhead

Flying in the Moonlight It's a quiet, moonlit night. You walk along the edge of town. A shadow crosses your path, but you hear no sound. You look up as a dark shape floats over you and into the nearby trees.

It's an owl. More than two hundred different species of owls live around the world. They come in many sizes and live on every continent except Antarctica. Owls may seem mysterious, but the way they look and act helps them survive.

Eyes for the Night Like most birds, owls can´t move their eyes. Instead, they must turn their heads to follow a moving object. Owls are able to turn their heads almost all the way around. They can even turn their heads upside down.

Owls' big eyes help them survive, too. Owls can't see in total darkness, but they can see better in low light than most animals. That's because of their pupils-the black circles in the center of their eyes. Their pupils can grow large to let in more light.

Even Better Ears Most owls rely on their hearing to hunt. Most owls have huge ears, with one higher than the other. The higher ear hears sounds from above. The lower ear hears sounds from below. Owls can move the feathers around their faces to send more sound to one ear or the other. This helps them find prey.