Post by The Moon on May 28, 2010 1:33:04 GMT -5
Tytonidae-- owl species that fall within the "barn owl" category.
Strigidae-- owl species that aren't in the barn owl category (so basically... every other owl that isn't a barn owl).
Parliament-- a flock or family of owls.
Owlet-- a baby owl before it molts and/or can come out of its nest.
Brancher-- also the term for a baby owl, but usually only for owls that live in trees. It refers to owls that are big enough to come out of the nest and walk along tree branches, but not big enough to actually leave its mother.
Fledgling-- an owl that has just molted and has all of its feathers.
Talons-- the hunting tool of owls, very strong and used to capture, hold, and sometimes kill prey. Do not call them claws. They are not claws.
Breast-- the "front" part of the owl, that faces forward while its flying.
Stomach-- right under the breast while the owl is sitting, behind it while flying.
Flank-- the owl's side.
Crown-- the top of an owl's head.
Facial Disk-- the face of an owl, usually differs in color from the rest of the owl's head.
Raptors-- birds that hunt mammals and other small to medium sized prey for food. Also called Birds of Prey.
Aves-- birds, usually referring to smaller birds that aren't predators.
Plumage-- all the feathers of an owl.
Contour Feathers-- the long feathers covering most of an owl's body.
Down Feathers-- the soft, fluffy feathers under the owl's contour feathers that keep it warm. Also the only feathers on an owlet before it molts.
Flutings-- the tiny comb-like bristles at the end of an owl's wing feathers. Flutings prevent the owl from making noise while it flies- the only bird that can do this.
Preen-- when an owl cleans its feathers.
Molt-- when an owlet sheds its first feathers (the fluffy down feathers) and grows its full plumage.
Chevron-- a pattern on an owl that looks like a { only the pointed side is facing downward.
Bar-- a horizontal line on an owl, can be very thick or very thin.
Mobbing-- "Because Owls are predators, they are feared by many birds. For this reason, they are often attacked or harassed by groups of smaller birds. This is not limited to one species, as once the attack begins, many different birds will join in. Interestingly, the Owl rarely responds to the harassment, and it is just as rare for the Owl to be injured in any way! The mobbing may succeed in forcing the Owl to move on to a different area. The retreating Owl is often pursued by the mob" (Owl Pages).
Bob-- an owl will often "bob" its head when interested in something. Bobbing just consists of tilting the head back and forth continuously to try and get a better look.
Strigidae-- owl species that aren't in the barn owl category (so basically... every other owl that isn't a barn owl).
Parliament-- a flock or family of owls.
Owlet-- a baby owl before it molts and/or can come out of its nest.
Brancher-- also the term for a baby owl, but usually only for owls that live in trees. It refers to owls that are big enough to come out of the nest and walk along tree branches, but not big enough to actually leave its mother.
Fledgling-- an owl that has just molted and has all of its feathers.
Talons-- the hunting tool of owls, very strong and used to capture, hold, and sometimes kill prey. Do not call them claws. They are not claws.
Breast-- the "front" part of the owl, that faces forward while its flying.
Stomach-- right under the breast while the owl is sitting, behind it while flying.
Flank-- the owl's side.
Crown-- the top of an owl's head.
Facial Disk-- the face of an owl, usually differs in color from the rest of the owl's head.
Raptors-- birds that hunt mammals and other small to medium sized prey for food. Also called Birds of Prey.
Aves-- birds, usually referring to smaller birds that aren't predators.
Plumage-- all the feathers of an owl.
Contour Feathers-- the long feathers covering most of an owl's body.
Down Feathers-- the soft, fluffy feathers under the owl's contour feathers that keep it warm. Also the only feathers on an owlet before it molts.
Flutings-- the tiny comb-like bristles at the end of an owl's wing feathers. Flutings prevent the owl from making noise while it flies- the only bird that can do this.
Preen-- when an owl cleans its feathers.
Molt-- when an owlet sheds its first feathers (the fluffy down feathers) and grows its full plumage.
Chevron-- a pattern on an owl that looks like a { only the pointed side is facing downward.
Bar-- a horizontal line on an owl, can be very thick or very thin.
Mobbing-- "Because Owls are predators, they are feared by many birds. For this reason, they are often attacked or harassed by groups of smaller birds. This is not limited to one species, as once the attack begins, many different birds will join in. Interestingly, the Owl rarely responds to the harassment, and it is just as rare for the Owl to be injured in any way! The mobbing may succeed in forcing the Owl to move on to a different area. The retreating Owl is often pursued by the mob" (Owl Pages).
Bob-- an owl will often "bob" its head when interested in something. Bobbing just consists of tilting the head back and forth continuously to try and get a better look.