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An owl for its appearance is called a wise bird; besides, for its size it has incredible strength. She has all the habits of a bird of prey and is nocturnal. This feature of the owl often attracted the attention of people surrounding the bird with mystical characteristics.
In the recent past, owls easily arranged their settlements even within large cities, but with a decreasing population of rodents, the birds had to abandon this idea. To date, the number of night hunters is gradually decreasing.
Very often people become the cause of death of individual owls. Blinded by the light of headlights, the bird often becomes a victim of motor transport, and when settled in airport areas, owls often die when they collide with an airplane on the fly.In addition to humans, other predators pose a danger to owls; they suffer from tuberculosis and disappear along with a reduction in their habitat.
The marsh owl is of great benefit, protecting agricultural areas from planting them with rodents. Of great importance is the preservation of the population of this species of night hunters. In a number of countries, laws prohibiting harm to these birds are passed around the globe. In the Russian Federation, a number of regions included in their Red Book as an endangered species representatives of the marsh owl.
Distinctive characteristics and habitats
For winter, this species of owls flies to more southern regions, where it is easier to feed in the winter. To do this, they are grouped into small flocks, ranging from 10 to 15 individuals. In case there are no problems with food, then these birds can refuse a seasonal flight, but still spend the winter in a flock, dwelling in trees. The height of the owl reaches 50 meters.
The marsh owl belongs to the genus, called eared owls, and their squad is called owls. These birds differ in various coloring. In their outfit, they can use from a gray-white to red-brown, they have a black beak and eyes of bright yellow.
A swamp owl is a nocturnal bird; it is distinguished by its large size head, disproportionately large eyes, which allow the bird to see perfectly. She has excellent hearing and well-developed sense of smell. Females of this species of birds grow larger than males, their body length can reach 40 centimeters with a wingspan of up to 1 meter.The weight of a marsh owl averages about 400 grams.
The behavior of the night hunter
In the summer, representatives of this species of birds prefer to live alone, avoiding the company of their relatives for hunting or recreation. Their distinctive feature is the monogamous manifestations in relationships, the pair created by birds lasts for a lifetime.
Without necessity, owls do not use voice signals. However, if the nest is in danger, the owl is capable of making loud sounds that frighten off opponents, accompanying their far from safe attack. The sounds of an owl resemble a kind of crackling, turning into a howl. In the event that the owl's attack did not produce the desired effect, it has the ability to pretend to be wounded, with damage to the wing. Using such a technique, the owl tries to distract and divert the attacker, attracting attention to himself with a prolonged squeal.
Of the enemies trapping an owl on the ground, foxes are the most dangerous, although they may be wolves or even skunks. In the daytime sky, the enemies of these birds are much larger. It can be a fast-winged falcon or a treacherous hawk,a wayward eagle or a leisurely kestrel, it can also be a golden eagle. In rare cases, small-sized individuals can be attacked even by ravens. However, the owl is not easy prey and never gives up without a fight. She is able to inflict serious damage even on an enemy that is larger than her. It is never possible to predict in advance the outcome of such fights, of which the owl is not rarely the winner.
The choice of a place to make a nest for birds of this species is always occupied by the female. To do this, she has to trample down the site, which is 50 centimeters across, on which a nest is subsequently built. As building materials, all kinds of sticks, dry branches, strong grass stems and plumage from the organizer's wardrobe are used. In the center of the nest is a certain recess intended for laying. In the thick grass, often surrounding the nest, the bird skillfully paves the tunnel that serves as an entrance.
Diet
The main dish in the owl's diet consists of various rodents, it can be all kinds of rats or mice, earth moles and unwary rabbits, as well as hamsters.In addition, an owl can easily eat reptiles, small birds, river fish and many insects. The owl is so lucky hunter that it manages to control the number of rodents within its hunting grounds.
The marsh owl prefers to hunt at night, although it goes on a hunt at dusk and continues it until the sun rises above the horizon. The owl silently swoops above the ground, at a height of about two meters, looking for prey and putting its smell in motion. Taking her target in the "sight", she makes a sharp throw, picking up the victim with claws. If the hunt is fruitful, the owl makes preparations for the future, arranging a storeroom in the nest area.
Mating season
There are cases when owls stay for wintering, turning out to be a seasonal flight, then they can mate even in winter.The need for migration and the time of mating of a marsh owl depends entirely on the amount of food within its range. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of one year. To attract females, he makes bizarre sounds, resembling drumming, and whirls in the air, doing dizzying pirouettes. He presents to the female she likes a gift in the form of a delicacy, and he performs his dance only for her. The female flirts for a long time, but still inferior. Intercourse continues for 4 seconds.
Video: marsh owl (Asio flammeus)
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