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Picture of the day -
November 17, 2006
The Stare Of A Great Horned Owl
Photo courtesy of Jim Roper.
Since owls are primarily nocturnal animals, they have long been
surrounded by mystery and legend. Children's stories often contain a
character known as the "wise old owl", and for good reason: they are
among the most skillful and stealthy birds of prey on the planet.
Owls can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Their 200+ species
are divided into two families: "Typical Owls" and "Barn
Owls". Here in Virginia, we have four owl species: the Great Horned
Owl, the Barred Owl, the Screech Owl and the Barn Owl. While the
first three inhabit wooded areas, barn owls prefer to make their homes in
man-made structures, which makes them a lot more conspicuous than
their forest-dwelling counterparts.
As birds of prey, owls depend on their outstanding long-distance
eyesight to enable them to see (and catch) a wide variety of small
animals such as mice, rabbits, squirrels and skunks. Worms, spiders, frogs and small birds are on their menu as well.
Their large, forward-looking eyes are perhaps their most striking
features, making them look like they are always staring right at
you!
About the photo: Photographer Jim Roper took this wonderful picture
on October 14 at the State Fair of Texas' "Birds of the World" show.
This Great Horned Owl was just one of the many spectacular birds that were
on display there. It just happened to be Jim's favorite because it
was so photogenic.
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