Owls are so famous for the night activity that the word “owl” is used to describe people who go to bed late. But the statement actually misleads a little, because some owls are active hunters and in the daytime.
Some owls sleep at night
In the daytime, while some owls are sleeping, the northern hawk owl (Surnia Ulula) and the northern dwarf owl (Glaucidium Gnoma) hunt for food, which makes them daily, that is, active during the day.
In addition, you can often see white owl (Bubo Scandiacus) or Rabbit Owl (ATHENE CUNICULARIA), hunting during the day, depending on the season and the presence of food
Some owls are strictly night, including Bubo Virginianus Virgins and ordinary sipuhi (Tyto Alba). According to experts, they hunt at night, as well as at the twilight times of dawn and sunset, when their victims are active.
Owls are not as distinctly night or daytime hunters as some other animals, because many of them are active day and night.
Experts believe that the reason for these differences is largely associated with the availability of production. For example, the northern dwarf owl hunts singing birds that wake up in the morning and are active during the day. The northern hawk owl, which hunts during the day, as well as at dawn and at dusk, feeds on small birds, fields and other day animals.
What is in common for Owl a night hunter and daytime predator Hawk
As follows from the name “Northern Hawk Owl”, the bird looks like a hawk. This is because the owls and hawks are close relatives. However, it is unclear whether the common ancestor from whom they came, daytime, like a hawk, or night, like most owls, a hunter.
The owls adapted to the night, but at different moments of evolutionary history they raided in the daytime.
Nevertheless, owls, of course, gain advantages from night activity. Owls have excellent vision and hearing, which are necessary in night hunting. In addition, the cover of darkness helps the night owls to avoid predators and attack the prey unexpectedly because their feathers are almost noisy during the flight.
In addition, many rodents and other victims of the owl are active at night, provide birds with the “Swedish table”.
Some owls developed skills to hunt a certain prey at a certain time, day or night. Other species adapted to living conditions and go hunting not at a certain time, but when it is necessary.
