The Great Horn owl is the most common type of owl in the Heights. His white throat and feathered "ear" tufts distinguish him from the common barn owl, who appears to have no ears at all.
Owls are easy to recognize from other birds. They have rings of short, flattened feathers that form a "face" with large, staring eyes. Their hooked beak is like a nose. People long ago thought that owls were spirits with magical powers. The ancient Greeks made the owl the symbol of wisdom. We know that the ancients worshipped them because owl figures often decorate weapons and tools that we see in museums.
My favorite game is to walk slowly in front of "Little Big Horn," the owl who lives near my house. I like to watch him turn his head as he follows me. If I walk in a big circle around him, he appears to turn his head completely around without moving his body!
Most birds can see in front of them by moving their eyes or turning their heads. But an owl cannot move its eyes it can only turn its head. Although it seems to have no neck at all, it actually has a much more complicated neck than people do. We have about seven bones in our neck. An owl has fourteen neck bones. This allows him to turn his head all the way around on his shoulders and look completely backwards! He is also able to snap his head back into a forward-looking position so quickly that it almost looks like his head is turning in a complete circle. Watch him do this sometime when you are out walking in the Heights.
Owls deserve our protection because they do a wonderful job of saving our gardens from damage caused by small rodents. Scientists once studied two owls who were raising a family in a barn. The little owls lived in their nest for one whole month. During this time, the parents went out every night to find food for their young ones. These parents made at least 20 trips out at night, and sometimes went out as many as 70 times looking for food. They would catch insects, small birds, mice, and rats. During one month, the parent owls brought back 750 mice and rats to feed to the little owls.
So the next time you see or hear Big Horn, give a hoot! Remember how
important our friend is to us. Maybe one of his children will soon be living
in your neighborhood and you can give him your own special name.