- a change in structure, function, or behavior in which a species or individual improves its chance of survival in a specific environment
asymmetrical
- not identical on both sides of a center line
B
birds of prey
- carnivorous bird (hawk, falcon, eagle, etc.) that kills and eats small mammals and other birds
branching
- young owlets before they are ready to leave their parents care will climb around on tree trunks and branches before they can fly
C
camouflage
- something that makes an animal, person, building etc. difficult for enemies to see, to blend in against the background
carnivore
- an animal that eats other animals
crepuscular
- active during twilight
D
defensive posture
- a posture most often used by young owls that are not ready to fly, used threatened
diurnal
- usually active in the daytime
E
ear tuft
- a tuft of feathers above the eyes of some owls and other birds, causing them to look larger and helps them blend in with surrounding foliage
erect posture
- a posture used by owls to stretch themselves as tall as they can with their ear tufts standing straight up
F
facial disc
- cup-shaped depressions that give the face a heart shape
flammulated
- a species of owl known for its small size
G
gizzard
- part of a bird's stomach that grinds food
H
habitat
- place where a plant or an animal lives
I
incubation
- the act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a clutch of eggs in a nest
irruption
- occurs when a large number of a species move to an area where they are not commonly found in large numbers, often in response to drought, rainfall or other environmental changes
M
migration
- seasonal travel by a group of animals
Minerva
- in Greek legends, daughter of Jupiter and is the goddess of wisdom, medicine, art, war, science and trade
N
nestlings
- a baby bird before it is about 3 weeks old
nocturnal
- an animal that is active at night
O
ornithologist
- a person who studies birds and bird behaviors
owlet
- a young owl
P
Pallas Athene
- often referred to as Zeus' favorite child, Greek goddess of wisdom, also described as the patron of household arts and crafts like spinning, weaving and textiles
parliament
- the group name for owls
pellet
- after owls digest their food they regurgitate or spit up a ball of the harder materials that is not digestible known as pellets
plumage
- the feathers on a bird
predator
- an animal that lives by preying on other animals
prey
- an animal that is hunted or seized for food by a predator
R
raptor
- a carnivorous bird
rod cells
- rod cells are responsible for helping to see in low-light situations
rufous
- reddish; tinged with red; brownish red
T
talon
- the claw of an animal - especially a bird of prey
tapetum lucidum
- to a reflecting layer immediately behind the retina of the eye of many animals
territory
- an area occupied by an animal or group where they live and hunt
V
visual field
- total area where objects can be seen from left to right while the eye is focused on a central point
