Fun Facts About Owls
Owls are fascinating creatures, with rotating heads and super senses! A pair of owls will call to each other with their famous ‘too-wit, too-woo’ - a sound that can be heard in woodlands all over the country.
Here's some fun facts about owls:
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There are 5 types of owl in the UK – barn owls, tawny owls, little owls, long-eared owls and short-eared owls.
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Owls have excellent hearing and eyesight and can turn their heads almost in a full circle - up to 270 degrees. Their eyes are fixed in place, so they have to swivel their whole head to look around without moving their bodies.
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Owls have 3 eyelids – one for blinking, one for sleeping and a special third eye to keep their eyes clean and healthy.
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Owl feathers are very soft with special frayed edges that help them silently fly and swoop.
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Most owls are only active at night except for the tiny little owl, which is active at dawn and dusk.
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Many owls have lop-sided ears of different shapes and at different heights on their heads to help them pinpoint where sounds are coming from.
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An owl’s feathers are great camouflage which helps them blend into their surroundings.
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Barn owls have heart shaped faces.
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A group of owls is called a parliament.​
How Your Family Can Help Owls
Owls nest in hollow trees but they are hard to find so you could build or buy a nest box to place high off the ground and give them a safe place for their baby owls.
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Owls can sometimes eat plastic litter or become tangled in it. So, if you see any litter in the woods or countryside, use some gloves to collect it and put in a recycling bin.