Owl and eagle owl are typical representatives of the order of owls. These birds have both some similarities and a number of significant differences. Both of these birds are predominantly nocturnal predators with large round eyes and similar silhouettes.
Owl and eagle owl appearance
The main difference between owls and eagle owls lies in the appearance of these birds. Eagle owls are much larger than ordinary owls, some of them are 70 cm long and weigh 4 kg. An owl rarely weighs more than 2 kg.
The most noticeable external difference between an owl and an owl is the presence of "ears". In owls, the plumage on the head is even, and when the silhouette of an owl appears, feathers sticking upward, resembling ears, are immediately visible on the head.
"Ears" on the owl's head play the role of not only decoration. Thanks to them, the bird is able to pick up sounds several times better than the owl.
The third external difference between an owl and an owl is the color of the plumage. Owl feathers are usually colored almost uniformly. Only in some places can the color darken or be lighter. There are separate varieties of owls that are completely snow-white in color. The facial disc may not differ in color from the body of an owl; in some individuals, masks in the form of black outlines of the eyes and darkened beards are noticeable.
The plumage on the owl's head is particularly bright. This bird has no facial disc. White or gray spots in the form of an arc are located above the eyes, under the beak there is a black spot, the so-called beard. Around the eyes there is a wide black outline, and on both sides of the beak there are arched white or light gray spots. Black feathers above the eyes smoothly merge into the shape of the "ears".
In addition, the plumage of the owl's body is never monochromatic. The reddish-fawn color is combined with dark stripes located on the back and head.
The long-eared owl looks very much like an owl owing to the presence of "ears" on its head. However, unlike its large relative, the bird does not differ in its large size, and its body color is predominantly monochromatic.
Lifestyle and diet
The differences between the owl and the owl are observed not only in appearance, but also in the way of life. Owls hunt exclusively at night. The owl can stay awake not only at night, but also during the day.
The owl feeds mainly on small rodents. The owl, thanks to its impressive body size, is able to catch not only mice, but also larger animals. The diet of this bird often includes hares, the young of some animals, birds that are inferior to the owl in body size. The eagle owl hunts even small roe deer.
During the flight, the owl makes many sounds, some of which resemble a whistle. It is impossible to hear the flight of an owl; it does it absolutely silently. This effect occurs due to the difference in the feathering of the wings. In owls, the ends of the wings are rounded, and in owls, they look more like a pointed shape. That is why the owl soars during the flight, and the owl cuts the air, making characteristic sounds at the same time.
It is also worth noting that the eagle owl is a rather rare bird, which is not so easy to see in its natural environment. Owls are listed in the Red Book and recognized as an endangered species. There are a lot of varieties of owls, they live in almost any territory.
