Third Grade
Worksheets
Owls: Skillful Hunters
As night falls, this bird is just waking up. It is nocturnal. It rests on a tree branch in the dark. It listens for sounds made by prey. It can turn its head most of the way around to look for its next meal. Once a victim is found, it attacks! This skillful hunter is an owl.
There are over two hundred types of owls. They can be found in all places except for Antarctica. Most owls are active at night. A few kinds hunt in broad daylight. Owls usually live alone or in pairs. During the mating season, owls may gather in groups. Owls are called "birds of prey" because they eat living animals. They eat lizards, snakes, birds, fish, mice, or insects. Birds of prey share some common traits that make them great predators. They have hooked beaks, sharp claws, and keen eyesight. Eagles, hawks, and falcons are other birds of prey.
Owls have large, round heads. They have big eyes that face forward. Like our eyes, theirs can see height, width, and depth. Their eyes can judge distance. Unlike our eyes, theirs cannot move in their sockets. To make up for this, owls have fourteen bones in their necks. This allows them to turn their heads almost all the way around and almost upside-down!
