THE BIRDS 



417 



in a theater, after coming in from bright daylight. The eyes of owls are 

 placed side by side on the front of the head so that they look straight 

 ahead, and the owls have to turn the head to see in different directions. 

 When an owl looks at something behind it, the head gives the appearance 

 of being attached backwards. 



Most owls are beneficial since rodents seem to be their favorite food, 

 but sometimes the great horned owl finds that it is easier to catch chick- 

 ens and other domesticated birds, even including turkeys. The monkey- 

 faced or barn owl is highly beneficial and should not be destroyed. The 



Photo by Winchester 



Fig. 27.8. A barn owl spreads it wings and prepares to repel those that intrude on 

 its privacy during the daytime when it should be sleeping. At night it catches many 



harmful rodents. 



little screech owl gives out an eerie cry that may be frightening on a 

 dark night, but it eats many insects and mice. In many of the western 

 states there is a superstition that the little burrowing owl lives in the 

 same burrow with prairie dogs and rattlesnakes. It often lives in a 

 prairie dog hole, but devours the original occupant first and in turn is 

 probably devoured by any rattlesnake that may enter the hole. 



The Vultures. The vultures, or buzzards, are close relatives of the 

 hawks, but lack the strong beak and the strong legs of the hawks. 

 Therefore, they do not attempt to catch live prey, but devour anything 

 that is dead. No rural landscape is complete without several buzzards 

 gliding high in the air on a sharp lookout for the carcass of a dead ani- 



