This Sunday families around America will gather around their television sets, stock up on hot dogs and chips, and recline in their couches. They flip through the channels, hungry in their search until, at last, they find it. They smile and put the remote aside, bringing the first handful of chips to their mouths as the show begins.
The logo of a familiar show flashes briefly across the screen. There is silence, then the voice of David Attenborough rings loud and true as the camera pans through a dark forest. Trees pass slowly across the screen until the camera finally rests. At last, a mighty bird of prey can be seen perched on a branch, turning its head towards the camera and letting out a soft "hoot."
Yes, it’s that time of year again - Superb Owl Sunday.
It's that one time a year that we take a moment to recognize and appreciate the most amazing of birds. It's a time when we all look at owls and think to ourselves or shout to neighbors "wow, this owl is superb!" A time when families, neighbors and strangers gawk at these beautiful birds all day (or however long an unrelated football event might last) and create lasting memories.
As you prepare for this annual appreciation of the exceptional owl species and subspecies, here’s what you ought to know this Sunday, courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology -
- Owls can’t actually turn their heads all the way around. The closest they can get is about 270 degrees.
- The reason they developed such great head rotation is because owls cannot move their eyes - their neck has to do the work for them.
- Owls throw up “pellets” containing indigestible matter like hair and bones after eating their prey whole.
- There are approximately 2,000 species of owls in the world.
- These amazing birds can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
- The great grey owl is the largest owl in the world, and can grow to be over two feet tall.
- The smallest species of owl is the elf owl, which averages out at around seven inches in length.
- Great horned owls are one of the few animals to regularly feed on skunks.
Keep these facts in mind while you're rooting for your favorite superb owls this weekend, and remember that a great horned owl's talons require approximate 28 pounds of pressure to reopen once clenched around a piece of prey. So keep your cats inside and consider building a nesting box this coming breeding season. The superb owl will appreciate it.
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