owl life science

Scott Foresman Science 3.4
Genre Comprehension Skill Text Features Science Content
Nonfi ction Draw Conclusions • Captions
• Call Outs
• Labels
• Glossary
Plants and
Animals
ISBN 0-328-13819-3
ì<(sk$m)=bdibjh< +^-Ä-U-Ä-U
13819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover113819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover1 05/23/2005 20:31:3405/23/2005 20:31:34
Scott Foresman Science 3.4
Genre Comprehension Skill Text Features Science Content
Nonfi ction Draw Conclusions • Captions
• Call Outs
• Labels
• Glossary
Plants and
Animals
ISBN 0-328-13819-3
ì<(sk$m)=bdibjh< +^-Ä-U-Ä-U
13819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover113819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover1 05/23/2005 20:31:3405/23/2005 20:31:34
1. Why are owls good hunters?
2. How do owls stay safe while they
are asleep?
3. What kind of feathers are owlets
born with?
4.

Owlets are baby
owls. Write about how owlets get

food when they fi rst hatch. Use
examples from the book to support
your answer.
5.

Draw Conclusions Different
types of owls are adapted to living
in different habitats. How will the
feathers on owls that live in rain
forests be different from those of
owls that live on the tundra?
What did you learn?
Extended Vocabulary
down
elliptical
incubate
pellet
posture
sockets
talons
wake
Vocabulary
carnivore
competition
consumer
decay
decomposer
disease
germs
herbivore

omnivore
predator
prey
producer
Picture Credits
Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material.
The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.
Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd).
6 Gerry Ellis/Minden Pictures; 9 © Kim Taylor/DK Images; 16 (B) Jerry Young/DK Images;
13 Eric and David Hosking/Corbis; 14 Eric and David Hosking/Corbis.
Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright © of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.
ISBN: 0-328-13819-3
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any
prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to
Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05
13819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover213819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover2 05/23/2005 20:31:4505/23/2005 20:31:45
by Kara Race-Moore
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2
What You Already Know
Living things interact to get energy. All living
things need energy to live and grow. Producers
are living things that can use the Sun to make
their own energy. Consumers eat producers
or other consumers in order to get energy.
Herbivores are consumers that only eat
plants. Carnivores are consumers that only

eat animals. Consumers that get eaten by
predators become the prey of those predators.
Some carnivores can also be prey.
Omnivores eat both plants
and animals.
Food chains are made up
of producers and consumers
interacting and passing on energy.
When a consumer eats a producer, it gets that
producer’s energy. Later on, that consumer
may become prey to another consumer. Two
consumers are in competition when they are
both trying to get the same resources.
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Owls are
carnivores.
3
The food chain continues when a living thing
dies and decays. Decomposers, such as mushrooms,
break down dead plants and animals, along with
waste. Decomposers help prevent the spread of
germs and disease by removing waste.
Owls are birds. They have their own special ways
to fi nd food, make shelter for themselves, stay safe
from other animals, and more. Keep reading to fi nd
out everything there is to know about owls!
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4
Owl Life
Owls are unique birds with many special

adaptations. All owls have similar features in
common. They have large, forward facing eyes,
a rounded head, short tail, and stiff, upright
posture. Owls are able to fl y quietly with their
large wings.
Owls have also adapted in ways that help them
survive in different habitats. Owls can be found
in many different places in the world, including
deserts and the polar tundra.
There are over two hundred species of owls.
They range in size from the tiny elf owl, which is
about the same size as a sparrow, to the eagle owl,
which can have a wingspan of six feet. Even with
so many owls, it is rare for people to see them.
This is because most owls are active only at night.
Owls have undergone many adaptations that
have made them excellent predators. The two
most important adaptations are probably their
great hearing and eyesight. Even though owls can
see very well at night, they usually rely on their
hearing to fi nd their prey.
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5
Owls can be found all
over the world. Most
sleep during the day,
which makes it difficult
for people to spot them.
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6

Owl Habitats
Owls live all over the world in many different
habitats. Tawny owls, like most kinds of owls,
live in forests. They make their nests in tree
hollows and come out at night to hunt. During
the day tawny owls sleep on tree branches. This
is in contrast to many other birds that are
active during the day. Arctic owls, also called
snowy owls, live on the Arctic tundra. They
make nests on the ground. To withstand the
cold, snowy owls have a dense covering of
feathers. They even have feathers on their toes!
Snowy owls have
white feathers with
black specks.
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7
Burrowing owls live in the
grasslands and prairies where
there is open ground. They
make their nests in the
abandoned burrows of animals
such as woodchucks, skunks,
and prairie dogs. Unlike most
types of owls, burrowing owls
will often come outside during
the day. They hunt and eat insects
as well as prairie rodents.
The tawny owl
swoops down

from tall trees
to hunt its prey.
Burrowing owls
use their long
legs to walk on
the prairies.
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8
Night Hunter
Most owls are nocturnal. Some owls spend
most of their nights out hunting, away from their
nests. Other owls sing for most of the night, only
hunting at dusk and dawn. As an owl approaches
its prey, it spreads its wings as wide as they will
stretch. The owl thrusts its large claws forward
to grab the animal. Once an owl has
successfully caught its prey, it will
immediately start to eat it, unless the
owl is catching food for its young.
Owls hunt alone. Different owls have
different hunting methods depending on
their prey and their habitat. Owls that live
in the woods will often stay perched on a
branch for a long time, listening for the
sound of their prey. Owls that hunt on
grassland, however, will fl y around until they
fi nd their prey. Some owls have unique hunting
methods. The bay owl will sometimes
wait inside a bat cave. When a bat
tries to fl y out, it will be captured!

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Owls are able to use their feathers as
camoufl age to keep other animals from seeing
them. When owls hear a mouse or vole or some
other prey moving, they attack suddenly and
silently. Owls have large mouths, but they don’t
have any teeth. They tear up their prey with
curved bills that act like pliers. They eat all of it.
Owls are so stealthy that they may have a hard
time seeing each other! To let other owls know
they are there, they may sing,
clap they wings together, or
snap their bills.
9
This owl spreads
out its wings in
preparation for
a landing.
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10
Silent Flight
Owls fl y silently through
the air. Because their wings are
rounded, they are not able to fl y
as fast as some birds. Owls make
up for this with their ability to fl y
very quietly. They are able to fl y
in near silence because their wings
have specially adapted feathers.
These feathers help to quiet any

sound the owls might make while
they are moving through the air.
The owl’s feathers are very soft and
velvety. Many kinds of owls have fringed edges
on their wingtip feathers. The soft texture and
tattered edges helps the feathers to move
through the air without creating a large wake.
A barn owl’s wings
allow it to glide
slowly while it
searches for prey.
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11
Large air wakes are what cause sound.
Owl feathers break large air wakes up into
smaller wakes. The smaller wakes make
much less sound. This helps the owl to
create as little noise as possible while in fl ight.
That way the prey won’t hear the owl coming.
fl ight feathers
The owl’s wingtips have
special features that help
the owl fly as silently as possible.
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12
What do you think owls like to eat?
Many people think of mice when they think
of an owl’s favorite food. Owls do eat mice,
but they also eat many other kinds of animals.
An owl’s diet can include different types

of rodents, smaller birds, fi sh, frogs, and
insects such as grasshoppers and beetles.
Larger owls such as the snowy owl and eagle
owl will hunt for larger birds. They will even
search out birds such as heron and small
mammals such as foxes for prey. Smaller owls
often catch moths in mid-air.
Easy Prey
Owls eat many smaller
animals, such as frogs
and mice.

frog
mouse
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13
Owls digest the parts of their
prey that provide them with energy.
The rest of the animal, which the owl has
no use for, gets coughed up as pellets.
Pellets contain everything the owl could
not digest, including the bones and fur.
The bones and fur from
this owl’s prey will later
be turned into pellets like
those on the right.
owl pellets
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Owl Adaptations
Most owls sleep during the day. By hiding in

trees and not making any movements, owls stay
safe from daytime predators. Owls’ feathers also
have special markings that help keep them from
being seen by the animals
that hunt them. The
markings, along with
the feathers’ color
patterns, help owls
blend into their
habitat. Often, the
colors of the feathers
match the colors of the
trees that the owls sleep
in. This camoufl age makes
the owls even harder for
predators to see.
Camoufl age
This owl’s feathers help
camouflage it while it
sleeps in the tree.
Owls have developed many adaptations,
which help them survive. Excellent eyesight
and hearing, very sharp bills and claws,
and feathers are all important adaptations.
14
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The owl’s claws
are perfect for
holding things.
Owls have extremely

powerful claws and bills
that enable them to catch
prey quickly.
Owls’ claws, or talons, are
fl exible and very sharp. Their
claws are also very strong, so strong
that they rarely break when the owl
uses them to grab prey. Owls can
fl ex their claws out and then curl
them in to better help them catch
and hold onto prey.
The owl’s short hooked
bill helps the owl tear at
its prey. It also makes it
easier for the owl to
see where it’s going
when it has food in
its mouth.
The owl’s sharp bill is
well adapted for hunting.
15
Claws and Beaks
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Owls’ eyes are on the front
of their faces. Many other
animals have their eyes on the
sides of their faces. Part of the
reason that owls have excellent
vision and are great hunters is
because of the location and the

size of their eyes.
Because owls are not able to
move their eyes in their sockets,
they are forced to turn their
heads in order to follow a
moving object. They can almost
turn their heads in a full circle!
Much of the
space in an
owl’s skull is
taken up by
its eye sockets.
Owls’ eyes face front, allowing them
to see how far away their prey is.
Eyesight
16
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Owls can hear very well.
Some of them can hunt by
sound alone. Owl faces are
shaped elliptically, like a
satellite dish. This shape
helps their ears take in as
much sound as possible.
Owls also have special
feathers on their faces
that help make
sounds louder.
Not only that, but
the owl’s left and

right ear differ in
shape and position.
Because of this, the
ears are able to pick
up different noises
from different places,
helping owls locate
their prey.
Hearing
The tufts on owls’
heads look like
ears, but they are
just feathers.
17
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Parents guard
the owlets
until they are
big enough to
take care of
themselves.
tawny owl egg
Owls make their nests in dark burrows and
tree hollows. When they fi nish making their
nests, they lay their eggs. Owls’ eggs are usually
white. The white color makes it easier for the
parents to see the eggs. The mother owl incubates
the eggs for about a month.
Owlets
18

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young Iranian
eagle owls
When owlets hatch, they are totally dependent
on their parents for food. At fi rst, the father owl
is responsible for bringing food to the nest. The
mother owl takes the food that the father owl has
brought and feeds the owlets small pieces. Once
the owlets are able to swallow food whole, the
mother owl will go hunting for them also.
Owlets are born with soft, warm feathers called
down. They will often explore the nest area by
walking and climbing around. Owlets fl y off from
their parents and the nest soon after they grow
their fi rst adult feathers. They usually grow their
adult feathers when they are a few months old.
19
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20
Different Owls
There are many different kinds of owls.
They live all over the world. Each owl has
its own special adaptations and behaviors.
These traits help owls to survive in the
many different habitats where they live.
Eagle owls are one of the largest
types of owls. They are very good
night hunters.
The Bengal eagle
owl gets its name

from Bengal, an
area in India.
Snowy owls live
in some of the
coldest climates
on Earth.
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21
Snowy owls have thick feathers all over
their bodies. These feathers help keep them
warm on the cold tundra. Spectacled owls
are found in both humid rain forests and
cooler woodlands. They eat insects, reptiles,
birds, crabs, and rodents.
The barn owl is found almost
worldwide. It is named for its
habit of making its nest in
barns. Farmers encourage
barn owls to roost near their
farms. Barn owls catch and
eat rodents that ruin crops.
They are among the most
common owls in the world.
Spectacled owls like
to live near water in
tropical rain forests.
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Amazing Owls
Owls are amazing birds. They have special
adaptations that allow them to hunt at night,

catch their prey in complete darkness, and
camoufl age themselves while they sleep during
the day. They can fl y silently through the air, and
they have excellent hearing and eyesight. They
can pinpoint their prey simply by listening and
can see long distances at night or in the day.
Buffy fi sh owl
22
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23
barn owl
Owls are very fl exible. Their necks allow
them to turn their heads up to 270 degrees.
Owls’ claws are specially adapted so they can
extend and curl to snatch up their prey.
Owls are found all over the world and are
adapted to live in many different conditions.
They eat many different types of small animals
whole. Owls are extraordinary predators as well
as beautiful nocturnal birds.
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24
down soft, warm, feathers grown by young
birds before they are able to fl y
elliptical having a shape like an oval with both
ends alike
incubate to keep warm
pellet a compact ball of all the parts of an
animal that an owl could not digest
posture a position of the body or way of

holding the body
sockets the hollow areas of the skull where
the eyeballs are located
talons the claws of predatory birds
wake the way air is moved or disturbed
when something passes through it
Glossary
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1. Why are owls good hunters?
2. How do owls stay safe while they
are asleep?
3. What kind of feathers are owlets
born with?
4.

Owlets are baby
owls. Write about how owlets get
food when they fi rst hatch. Use
examples from the book to support
your answer.
5.

Draw Conclusions Different
types of owls are adapted to living
in different habitats. How will the
feathers on owls that live in rain
forests be different from those of
owls that live on the tundra?
What did you learn?
Extended Vocabulary

down
elliptical
incubate
pellet
posture
sockets
talons
wake
Vocabulary
carnivore
competition
consumer
decay
decomposer
disease
germs
herbivore
omnivore
predator
prey
producer
Picture Credits
Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material.
The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.
Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd).
6 Gerry Ellis/Minden Pictures; 9 © Kim Taylor/DK Images; 16 (B) Jerry Young/DK Images;
13 Eric and David Hosking/Corbis; 14 Eric and David Hosking/Corbis.
Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright © of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.
ISBN: 0-328-13819-3
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any
prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to
Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05
13819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover213819_01-04_CVR_FSD.indd Cover2 05/23/2005 20:31:4505/23/2005 20:31:45