When you look around, your eyes move in their sockets. An owl’s eyes, though, can’t do that — so he has to turn his whole feathery head to see stuff. Luckily, owls can turn their heads 135 degrees to the left and 135 to the right, for a whopping 270 degrees total! (Looking all the way back would be 180, for a whole 360 circle). That is one head-spinning bird.
Wee ones: If an owl looks left, then right, then straight ahead, then left again, right, ahead, then left again…what comes next?
Little kids: If an owl catches a mouse, how many legs do they have together? Bonus: Many owls are “nocturnal:” they stay awake at night. If an owl goes to bed at 5 in the morning and wakes up at 7 at night, how long does he sleep? (Hint if needed: How many hours from 5 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon?)
Big kids: The world’s smallest owl, the Elf Owl, is only 5 inches tall. How many Elf Owls would have to stack on top of a 33-inch-tall Great Grey owl to match a 53-inch-tall kid? Bonus: Owls need to see well because they hunt up so much food: A family of 5 can eat 3,000 mice a year! How many mice does each owl get?
Answers:
Wee ones: To the right.
Little kids: 6 legs. Bonus: 14 hours.
Big kids: 4 Elf Owls, since they need to add 20 inches. Bonus: 600 mice.
