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- Adaptions
- Hunting
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- The barn owl
has evolved special adaptions so that when
hunting:
- It's wings
are silent as it flies along and it's specialised
ears pick up the sound of prey moving about
below.
- It uses it's
strong wings to slow down and may for a moment
hover whilst it's powerful eyes are fixed upon
the unsuspecting prey.
- To lose
height quickly the owl tucks its wings upwards
and plunges towards its prey and then brings its
powerful talons forwards ready to close on it's
victim
- As the owl is
about to grab its prey it closes its eyes and
relies solely on its hearing.
- It grabs its
prey with a force which will probably kill it
immediately.
- If the owl
has only a short distance to fly it will carry
its prey in its beak otherwise it will more often
carry its prey in its talons until it arrives at
it's resting spot or nest site.
- If the prey
is large or there are small owlets to feed it
will use it's strong hooked beak to tear the prey
into smaller pieces, otherwise it will swallow it
whole.
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