Strange transforming Owl takes on different forms (Video)

Strange transforming Owl takes on different forms (Video)
2010 07 10

Video from: YouTube.com/SocialNewsify

"The owl is a White-faced Scops Owl (about 20cm in height, noted for its orange eyes, small owl), named Popo.

When Popo is shown a Barn Owl (or Ashy-faced Owl) (found in many parts of the world, about 35cm in height), Popo puffs out his feathers against the other owl since the Barn Owl is, according to Popo, of lower rank.

When faced with a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (found in the African continent, about 75cm in height, large owl), Popo slims down to half his size and narrows his eyes to look like a tree branch in the eyes of the Eurasian Eagle-Owl. Since Popo’s stomach feathers are a non-camouflaging white color, he keeps twisting his body so that his back is always facing the enemy owl.

Owls have thick feathers and their actual bodies are not that big, so they can change sizes by puffing or flattening their feathers. The White-faced Scops Owl is among the most adept in controlling their feathers."
Source

The Southern White-faced Owl (Ptilopsis granti) is a fairly small owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to the southern half of Africa. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Northern White-faced Owl (P. leucopsis) but the two are now commonly treated as separate species.

It is 22-28 centimetres long and weighs 185-220 grams. The upperparts are grey with dark streaks and there are white spots on the scapular feathers. The underparts are whitish with dark streaks. The face is white with a black border and black around the large orange eyes. The head has two short "ear" tufts with black tips. Juvenile birds have a greyish face. The Northern White-faced Owl is usually paler and browner with reduced streaking below.

The call is a series of fast, bubbling hoots. It is uttered at night and frequently repeated. The Northern White-faced Owl has a very different two-note call.

Its range extends from Gabon eastwards to southern Kenya and southwards to Namibia and northern South Africa. It inhabits savanna and dry woodland. It is usually seen alone or in pairs. It hunts for large invertebrates and some small mammals, birds and reptiles are also taken.
The eggs are usually laid in the old nest of another bird. The clutch contains two or three eggs which are incubated for about 30 days. The young birds leave the nest about a month after hatching.

The owl has the magnificent ability to morph its appearance in times of danger or threat. It may enlarge it’s body to ward off other owls, or it may make itself appear shrivelled to camouflage it’s self as a tree trunk or branch.
Source

Share |

Latest News from our Front Page

Military Says No Presidential Authorization Needed To Quell “Civil Disturbances”
2013 05 17
A recent Department of Defense instruction alters the US code applying to the military’s involvement in domestic law enforcement by allowing US troops to quell “civil disturbances” domestically without any Presidential authorization, greasing the skids for a de facto military coup in America along with the wholesale abolition of Posse Comitatus. The instruction (embedded at the end of this article), which ...

Ancient Maya Pyramid Destroyed in Belize
2013 05 17
An archaeological group says it plans to take legal action. Despite its small size, the Caribbean country of Belize is known for a few outstanding characteristics: a spectacular barrier reef, a teeming rain forest, and extensive Maya ruins. It now has one fewer of those ruins. A construction company in Belize has been scooping stone out of the major pyramid at the site ...

Ginger: A Warming Herb
2013 05 17
Ginger is an Asian herb that is particularly well known to us in the West. Over time, and with trial and error, its stimulating properties and piquant flavor have been integrated into both our herbal “materia medica” and cuisine. Brewed as an herbal tea, ginger root is particularly helpful for those people who have underactive stomachs and difficulty producing adequate amounts ...

Australian man dead for 40 minutes revived with new CPR machine
2013 05 17
In an Australian first, doctors have used a new resuscitation technique to revive three patients who were clinically dead for up to an hour. One of the lucky survivors was Colin Fiedler, 49, who was pronounced dead at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, after suffering a heart attack, The Herald Sun reported. Doctors brought Fieldler back to life using a U.S.-made ...

How a pregnancy test for humans caused a wave of global extinctions
2013 05 17
The deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been wiping out amphibian species across the globe for decades. But how did this global environmental disaster get started? A new study suggests that it came from doctors importing frogs for use in pregnancy tests. Since the 1980s, amphibian species have experienced a sharp decline in their numbers. Some estimates suggest that 400 or more ...

More News »