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Owls
As Harry Potter's beloved pet, Hedwig, a Snowy owl, is
probably the most famous bird in the world. Snowy owls
are just one of the more than 200 species of owls. Owls
___1___ size and can be as little as the 31-gram Elf owl
and as large as the Blakiston's Fish Owl, which can
weigh almost five kilograms. Owls
are actually very different from other birds.
Owls are nocturnal animals, which means that they
sleep during the day and hunt at night. They are known
both for their unique call, or hoot, and their extremely
good sight. They use these features to navigate and hunt
in the dark. They are far-sighted and use this vision to
track and
target their prey ___2___ a distance.
___3___ pigeons and sparrows can exist on seeds and
grains, this would not satisfy most owls. Instead, they
prefer to eat small mammals such as moles, mice, and rabbits.
___4___ these warm-blooded creatures, they will also
feed on insects and other birds when hunger strikes. Like other
birds of prey, owls have sharp beaks and claws that they
use to tear their food to pieces before eating it.
Sometimes they do swallow larger chunks of bone,
feathers, and other things that are indigestible. What
their bodies don't digest is
thrown up ___5___ owl pellets.
These lumps of bone and other bits are collected because
they are ___6___ for studying the habits and diet of owls.
Owls serve man by ___7___ some of the pests that would
make life unbearable. Protecting their habitat is,
in a sense,
a way of protecting our own. |
