Owl at Liberty

Photo by Kelly Rausch

I ♥ Owls.  Their beauty is tied directly to their survival adaptation.  Their huge eyes take up most of their skull space, and are elongated with huge pupils and retina, allowing for night vision 100 times better than ours.  Because of the eye's tubular shape and bony structure that holds it, their eyes can't move.  But isn't it wonderful that their head can turn 270 degrees side to side and over 90 degrees upside down?  The disc-like shape of the face directs sound to their ears and the uneven placement of the ears gives it 3D hearing.  In addition, owl's feathers have comb-like ends which break the turbulence, so that their flight is virtually silent.  I saw this demonstrated by watching a blind-folded volunteer who was to notify when she heard the owl.  The owl was well past her before she signaled.  For more interesting owl and wildlife information, visit, volunteer, or sign up for the newsletter at Liberty Wildlife of Scottsdale:
Liberty Wildlife Rescue