Editing Owl (section)

== Behavior ==
[[File:Feathers owl vs hawk.png|thumb|Comparison of an owl (left) and hawk (right) [[remex]].]]
[[File:EulenfederTeil3.jpg|thumb|The [[serration]]s on the leading edge of an owl's flight [[feather]]s reduce noise]]
[[File:SpottedEagleOwl2539MGEyeLid.jpg|thumb|upright|Owl eyes each have [[nictitating membrane]]s that can move independently of each other, as seen on this [[spotted eagle-owl]] in [[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]].]] 
<!-- [[File:SpottedEagleOwl2483MGYawn.jpg|thumb|upright|Owls [[yawn]]]]-->

Most owls are [[nocturnal]], actively hunting their prey in darkness. Several types of owls are [[crepuscular]]—active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; one example is the [[pygmy owl]] (''Glaucidium''). A few owls are active during the day, also; examples are the [[burrowing owl]] (''Speotyto cunicularia'') and the [[short-eared owl]] (''Asio flammeus'').

Much of the owls' hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of their feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge of owls' [[remiges]] muffle an owl's wing beats, allowing an owl's flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, for which silence has no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation.

An owl's sharp [[beak]] and powerful [[Talon (anatomy)|talons]] allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (if it is not too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of [[regurgitation (digestion)|regurgitating]] the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales, and fur) in the form of [[Pellet (ornithology)|pellets]]. These "owl pellets" are plentiful and easy to interpret, and are often sold by companies to schools for dissection by students as a lesson in biology and ecology.<ref>[http://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/owl-pellets-in-the-classroom-safety-guidelines/tr11086.tr Owl Pellets in the Classroom: Safety Guidelines]. Carolina.com</ref>

=== Breeding and reproduction ===
Owl eggs typically have a white color and an almost spherical shape, and range in number from a few to a dozen, depending on species and the particular season; for most, three or four is the more common number. In at least one species, female owls do not mate with the same male for a lifetime. Female burrowing owls commonly travel and find other mates, while the male stays in his territory and mates with other females.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Selected Aspects of Burrowing Owl Ecology and Behavior|jstor = 1366565|journal = The Condor|date = 1973|pages = 446–456|volume = 75|issue = 4|doi = 10.2307/1366565|first = Dennis J.|last = Martin|s2cid = 55069283}}</ref>