Filins

A mysterious bird and one of the largest representatives of the owl family. Owls have long attracted the attention of people with their appearance and distinctive habits. Even at this stage, scientists have not fully studied this species.

The distinctive feature of the owl is its strong build and large orange-red eyes that cover feathered ears. The plumage color of birds is mainly red. The color of the feathers may differ depending on its habitat and the species in question. The body length of an adult owl can vary from 50 to 70 centimeters. And birds weigh an average of three kilograms.

The owl is popular for its ability to turn its head up to 270 degrees, making almost an entire turn of the head around the neck. With this capability, birds do not move their eyes. They always leave them motionless. Owls are divided into many species, each of which has its own unique features. The type of owl is determined depending on its habitat. Consider the most common types:

An ordinary owl. In another way, the common owl is called "Eurasian" or "Northern". The bird is up to 75 centimeters in size with a weight of up to three kilograms. The body of the common owl is barrel-shaped. The color is mottled with a predominant red and ochre color. The body is covered with black stripes. The species is distributed in Asia and North Africa.

Fish owl. An owl with a body length of about 70 centimeters. The weight of a female of this species can reach up to four kilograms. The plumage color is brown with black longitudinal spots. A distinctive feature of the fish owl is a white spot under the beak. This species is popular in Korea and the far East.

Nepalese owl. The bird settled in the forests of the Himalayas, Malaysia and Indochina. The color of the Nepalese owl is grayish-brown. This owl is notable for its amazing voice, similar to a human one.

The Virginia owl

It is the largest species in the Americas. It has a variety of colors. Its plumage color can be either brown, white, or gray.
African eagle owl. In comparison with its relatives, it is a fairly small representative. The body size of the African owl reaches a maximum of 45 centimeters. The color of the plumage is red-brown with a chaotic white spots. Popular on the African continent.

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Owls are long-lived. In the wild, their average age can reach from 14 to 16 years. Sometimes the age of an owl in the wild can be 25 years. In captivity, these birds break all records. Many individuals live up to 50 years. There are cases when the owl lived up to 70 years.

Common owls live in Eurasia and North Africa. They lead a solitary lifestyle, occupying a fairly large area of land up to 40 square km. Their possessions are located near forests, meadows and reservoirs.

The body length of adults is 62-74 cm with a wingspan of 165-186 cm. The weight ranges from 2.5 to 4 kg. The feathers on the back are blackish-brown and dirty-red color, from a distance resembling the bark of trees. The abdomen is pale yellow, with thin brown stripes. The body is large and muscular. The wings are large and wide. The facial disk is poorly expressed and has a slight feather coating. The head is decorated with 2 bundles of feathers, called feather ears.

The eyes are large and rounded with an orange iris. Small light feathers grow around the strong down-curved beak. The paws are very powerful and completely covered with plumage. Yellowish fingers are equipped with hook-like claws.
Like most owls, the owl's activity is twilight and nocturnal. During the day, he prefers to wait out somewhere in hiding.
Most of their lives are spent alone. Even if the female and male live in a common territory, each of them has its own shelter, and each hunts independently. Owls are conservative and, if there is enough food, do not leave their area, which ranges from 15 to 80 square kilometers, during their entire life.

The owl's voice is loud, audible at a distance of 2-4 km, and is a two-syllable "u-hoo". The male and female voices differ in pitch. The male's screams can turn into laughter, and then be replaced by moans and"crying". In the night forest, all this sounds quite creepy, and it is not for nothing that the people called the owl "Pugach", and the myths about the Goblin have the same origin. Screams of owls are most often heard in early spring, especially during the mating season, when the birds often "sing" a duet. But you can hear them at other times of the year, except, perhaps, the harsh winter.
In General, the set of sounds produced by owls is very diverse. For example, when disturbed at the nest, adult owls "bark" hollowly, and the fillets whistle or hiss.