Whoooo Is Calling? Whoooo sounds spooky in the night? Hearing the hoot of an owl on a dark night can cause shivers to run up and down your back. But owls are not dangerous. They help people. They have been called the farmer's friend because they eat so many pests. There are more than 100 types of owls worldwide. Owl Chow Owls are birds of prey.

They eat mostly meat. Larger owls eat such animals as rabbits and squirrels. The smaller owls' diet includes rats and mice. Some eat other birds and insects. Owls swallow small animals whole. They spit up pellets, or small balls, made up of what they can't digest, such as feathers and bones. Owlets Different kinds of owls may lay from two to 12 eggs.

Usually only the female sits on the eggs. The male helps gather food. Owl eggs hatch in about 30 days. Owlets stay with their parents for about a month or sometimes longer. Owl Homes Many owls live alone. They form pairs only to mate and raise their young. They live in forests and around farms. Some live in deserts and canyons.

Others live in wooded areas in cities. The big snowy owl lives in the cold arctic tundra, a treeless area in the far north. Some owls will nest only in old woodpecker holes. Others nest in barns. The burrowing owl nests underground. It might dig out a place for its nest, or it might build a nest in a prairie dog burrow.

Owls often move into some other animal's home.