When it comes to mysterious and slightly spooky creatures, owls top the list. From their huge, all-seeing eyes and swiveling heads to their ability to swoop in silently on their prey, owls exude a sense of mystery.
Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night (Storey Publishing) is packed with stunning facts and photos. For your chance to win this book in our random drawing, submit a comment to this blog by Thursday, November 14, and let us know which of these fun owl facts (all from the book) that you’ll be sharing with your young scientists:
- Owls have one toe that can swing from the back to the front to better secure prey.
- Owls’ eyes appear to glow red when you shine a light on them at night; that’s a reflection of the light hitting the blood vessels at the back of the eyes.
- Owls don’t actually turn their heads in a complete circle. However they can turn their heads 200 degrees in each direction to see all the way around (with even a little overlap).
Fascinating! Plus here are some other fun and free things I’ve found fascinating this week:
With Blended Play, you can create your own strategy-driven games on the topics you’re teaching. It’s all free at blendedplay.com.
Outdoor Classroom Day is coming up! On November 7, take your students outside for learning and play. Sign up for free lessons and resources at outdoorclassroomday.com.
Ready for a classroom revamp? Jonti-Craft’s Room Design Service can help. Download the form here and start dreaming about what your classroom could be like.
Did I mention that the cover of Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night glows in the dark? You know you want it; add your comment right now! Congratulations to Freda Stoelting, our lucky winner!
Karen |
PS: The Learning magazine digital issue has 88 prizes. Want a chance to win? Click here.
All of them, although I think the first one is particularly fascinating.
The one about the toe that can move from the back to the front is particularly cool.
I will share this fact: Owls don’t actually turn their heads in a complete circle. However they can turn their heads 200 degrees in each direction to see all the way around (with even a little overlap). Just the other day, my students were talking about owls & several of them said that owls can turn their heads all the way around, so I want to clarify that information with them.
Owls are fascinating! All of the facts are so special to that bird.
All were pretty interesting, but I especially found the one about how an owl rotates its head interesting. My students will find it pretty fascinating too!
I would read the entire book to my class as part of our owl unit in November. They would love to know that owls have one toe that can swing from the back to the front to better secure prey. We just learned that bats have thumbs and it would be awesome to make a text to self connection to owls’ toes!
How cool, I’ll definitely share this hoot of a fact: Owls have one toe that can swing from the back to the front to better secure prey.
I’ll share all fascinating facts about the owls ????
I will share all fascinating facts about the owls.
We do an owl pellet lab in 3rd grade science, so I’ll be sharing all the facts, but the toe that move forward and back is cool.
I will be asking my students- did you know “Owls don’t actually turn their heads in a complete circle. However they can turn their heads 200 degrees in each direction to see all the way around (with even a little overlap”. In the neighborhood around my house there is a large great horned owl ( who probably ate my cat- fat juicy cat from Vermont rather than the skinny, scrawny cats in Wickenburg). I have heard it and seen it several times.
Head rotation is really cool!
Those are great facts! I didn’t know any of them! I think the kids would be excited to learn!
I wish my head could move around like an owl’s. . .I could keep really good track of all my students!
Good point!
I will share that owls can’t really turn their heads all the way around.
I’ll be sharing the toe fact because I didn’t know that myself!! What a great book to share with my class and so timely. We are studying owls in November!
All of them but especially the red eyes. Love owls
All of them but especially the red eyes. Love owls
I will let my 5th-grade students know that an owl does not turn its head around completely. They know my love for owls and I’ve even shown them a picture of one I took while in Maine! They’re amazing creatures.
My second graders have done animal research projects this school year and are absolutely fascinated by interesting facts about animals; they call them “wow facts.” They would love to learn the fact about how far an owl can rotate its head, and I even have an owl stuffed animal with a head that rotates that I could use as a prop while reading this book to them.
Love that term, “wow facts”. 🙂
I love owl facts! My students love learning bout their adaptations!
Owls are fascinating.
I will share all of these interesting facts.
Owls have one toe that can swing from the back to the front to better secure prey. This was a new fact for me!