Welcome to the Magical, Welcome to the Magical, Mystical World of Harry Mystical World of Harry

Potter!Potter!

““Muggle” or Wizard?Muggle” or Wizard?

Muggle: not magical; common people

Wizard: magical beings

Whoooo is all the fuss about?Whoooo is all the fuss about?In the Harry Potter books, owls are used to

deliver messages to other people, much like pigeons used to do in the “Muggle” world.

I guess wizards don’t have e-mail.

What I already know about What I already know about owls….. KWL chartowls….. KWL chart

There are many different types of owls in the world.

Harry Potter lives in Britain, so you would think that owls would be British owls, but that’s not the case.

Harry PotterHarry Potter Owls Owls

Four owls are mentioned in the books-three belong to three of the main characters. The fourth is just an owl that lives at the school.

Hedwig- Snowy OwlPidwidgeon- Elf OwlHogwart’s Owl- Barn OwlMalfoy’s Owl- Eagle Owl

On a “Wild Owl Chase”On a “Wild Owl Chase” Other types of owls:

BarnWestern ScreechEastern ScreechBarred Great HornedSnowySpectacledGreat GrayMadagascar Red

MaskedNorthern PygmyElfBorealNorthern Saw-WhetShort EaredLong EaredBurrowingSpotted

More Owls:More Owls:

Tawny

Eurasian Eagle

Madagascar Scops

Powerful

Barking

Boobook

Lesser Sooty

Northern Hawk

Eurasian PygmyPuerto Rican ScreechGrassRufousBengal EagleLittle SumbaHawkSootyLaughing

There are 19 species of owls in North America, and more than 150 species worldwide.

What I would like to learn What I would like to learn about Owls….about Owls….

Animal Tales: Harry Potter Animal Tales: Harry Potter OwlsOwls

With the exposure that the movie is getting, there is a concern that some people think owning an owl is a good idea.

It is not a good idea. In fact, it is illegal in the United States, but not in Britain.

In the movie, the owls deliver mail to the children at the Hogwart’s School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

They’re good friends and appear tame, but in reality, they are wild animals that must fly miles each night and hunt for food and cannot be kept in cages.

In rural life, you can’t keep an owl in a cage because they are birds of prey who fly for miles and hunt rabbits, rodents, or birds and eat them whole, and regurgitates pieces of bone and fur, so cleaning up after them isn’t fun.

With movies today, it is difficult to know what is real and what isn’t, considering they can use mechanical animals, computer-generated animals inserted in the film and even dead animals that have been preserved.

Owl Statements: Fact or Owl Statements: Fact or Myth: You decide….Myth: You decide….

Owls are wise birds.

Owls are not really smart. However, they are smart enough to find food, to nest and raise young. People think owls look wise because they look a little like people do, with eyes in front of their heads.

Owls can turn their heads all the the way around.

Owls can rotate their heads three-quarters of the way around. The movement of their eyes from side to side and their quick-moving heads create an illusion of a complete turn.

Advice from owls is followed by other animals in the forest.

Advice from owls are not really followed by other animals in the forest. Owls are not the wisest birds or animals in the forest.

Owls are nocturnal

Some owls are nocturnal, meaning that they are able to see at night and do their hunting. However, not all owls are nocturnal. Owls see perfectly well during the day, and exceptionally well at night. By coming out at night they have the skies mostly to themselves.

Owls blink at passersby.

A male owl might present food, such as a tasty mouse or cicada to a female owl in an act of courtship. He might also swivel and bow his head and wink one eye at her! However, they don’t wink at people who pass by.

Owls have big skulls.

Owls have very large skulls and heads.

Some owls have horns.

Owls don’t really have horns. The name comes from the existence of tufts of feathers on top of their heads that resemble horns.

Owls never blink.

Owls do blink. They just go longer than people before they have to blink.

Adult owls eat small prey whole.

Yes, if the prey is small enough, it is swallowed whole, otherwise the food is torn apart by the owl’s strong, hooked beak.

Owls build their own nests.

Owls do not build their own nests. Instead, they use old hawk nests, natural cavities, buildings, or human-constructed boxes.

Owls can’t move their eyes from right to left.

This is true. They can’t move their eyes from side to side. Owl’s eyes are fixed and can’t turn. They turn their heads to see an object.

Owls are blink during the day.

Owls are not blink during the day. They have excellent vision both during the day and the night. They usually hunt at night because they have the night skies to themselves.

Tufts of feathers on a horned owls are its ears.

Ear tufts do nothing to improve hearing. They are simply for defensive purposes. Ear tufts help the owl appear larger to ward off predators.

Hearing an owl is a sign of bad luck.

Owls don’t bring bad luck. Because they can see in the dark, they were once believed to possess super-natural powers and some believe they bring bad luck. This is not the case.

Owl ResearchOwl Research

Fill in organizer.Report must include:

Owl Name Appearance

Habitat Diet

Range Young

Other facts