Owl
Glossary |
| adaptation |
A
change in structure, function, or behavior in which a species or individual
improves its chance of survival in a specific environment |
| asymmetrical |
Not
identical on both sides of a center line. |
| bird
of prey |
Carnivorous bird (hawk, falcon, eagle, etc.) that kills and eats small mammals
and other birds. |
| branching |
Young
owlets before they are ready to leave their parents care will climb around
on tree trunks and branches before they can fly. |
| camouflage |
Something,
that makes an animal, person, building etc. difficult for enemies to see.
To blend in against the background. |
| carnivore
|
An
animal that eats other animals (meat.) |
| crepuscular
|
Active
during twilight. |
| defensive
posture |
This
posture is most often used by young owls that are not ready to fly. When
threatened the owl will fluff up its feathers making it look twice as big.
To further increase its size, the bird will raise its wings over its back
like a large fan and spread its tail feathers. |
| diurnal
|
Usually
active in the daytime. |
| ear-tuft
|
A
tuft of feathers above the eyes of some owls and other birds, causing them
to look larger and helps them blend in with surrounding foliage. |
| erect
posture |
If
disturbed, an owl will stretch themselves as tall as they can with their
ear tufts standing straight up. They will also close their eyes until they
are only slits. Standing perfectly still, they blend almost completely into
the branches trying to fool possible enemies. |
| facial
disk |
Cup-shaped
depressions that give the face a heart shape. Each facial disk directs light
into the eyes and sound into the ears giving the owl the ability to hunt
for its prey. |
| habitat |
A
habitat is the place where a plant or an animal calls home. |
| incubation |
The
act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a
clutch of eggs in a nest. |
| irruption |
Occurs
when a large number of a species move to an area where they are not commonly
found in large numbers, often in response to drought, rainfall or other
environmental changes. |
| migration |
Usually
seasonal, migration is the movement of all or part of a population of animals. |
| Minerva
|
In
Greek degends, Minerva is known as the daughter of Jupiter and as the goddess
of wisdom, medicine, the arts, dyeing, science and trade, and also of war. |
| nestlings |
Until
a baby bird is about 3 weeks old, it is considered to be a nestling |
| nocturnal |
An
animal that is active at night. |
| Ornithologist
|
This
is a person who studies birds and bird behaviors. |
| owlet |
This
refers to a young owl; |
|
pellet |
Owls do not have teeth, and eat their food whole. They
rip and tear their meals up instead of chewing. After they digest their
food they regurgitate or spit up a ball of the harder materials that are
not digestible. These balls are known as pellets. |
| Pallas
Athene |
Often
referred to as Zeus' favorite child. Pallas Athene is described as the Greek
goddess of wisdom, however in most Greek legends she is described as the
patron of household arts and crafts like spinning, weaving and textiles. |
plumage
|
The
feathers on a bird. e.g. The owl's plumage is beautiful.
|
| predator |
An
animal that lives by preying on other animals. |
| prey
|
An
animal that is hunted or seized for food by a predator. |
| raptor |
A
carnivorous (meat-eating) bird. All raptors have keen eyesight, sharp talons
and a hooked beak. |
| rod
cells |
Rod
cells are responsible for helping to see in low-light situations. |
| rufous |
Reddish;
tinged with red; brownish red. |
| Strigidae |
This
family of owls is also known as "true" owls. This is the larger
of the two families of owls. |
| talon
|
The
claw of an animal - especially a bird of prey. |
| tapetum
lucidum |
This
is also called "eyeshine." When you see an animals eyes caught
in a flashlight or the headlights of your car and you see the bright reflection
- this is because of the tapetum lucidum. In Latin, this means "bright
carpet." This "eyeshine" is due to a reflecting layer immediately
behind the retina of the eye of many animals. sThis increases the quantity
of light caught by the retina and improves vision in low light conditions.
This is usually found in nocturnal animals with good night vision. |
| territory |
An area occupied more or less exclusively by an animal or group.
|
| visual
field |
Total
area where objects can be seen in the peripheral vision while the eye is
focused on a central point.
|
| Tytonidae
|
One
of two families of owls, the other being the typical owls, Strigidae. This
family of owls are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic
heart-shaped faces. Includes the common barn owl. |
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