2007-03-19 01:49:42 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-owl.html There is a lot of conflicting information concerning how many degrees an owl can turn its head. I feel that the San Diego zoo would probably be the best resource for this information. Have a great day. (270 degrees) It does look like 360 degrees when I've seen an owl turn its head, but that could only be accomplished if his neck was broken. Have a great spring.
2007-03-21 17:53:55 · answer #1 · answered by firestarter 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they can turn their heads 180 degrees. The remarkable flexibility is amazing and often does give people the impression that the owl can turn their heads 360 degrees (which they can't).
A more impressive feat that people don't know is that an owl can keep it's head still even while it's body is moving. As a raptor educator i was able to get an owl focussed enough a few times to demonstrate the owl's ability to hold it's head still in air as it's focussed on something while it's body moves around (as it would on a branch on a windy day). It's pretty wild looking.
2007-03-19 09:30:42 · answer #2 · answered by SC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An owl can turn it's head 270 - 280 degrees from the front in either direction. not all the way round or the wires will get twisted.
This is because an owl can't move it's eyeballs due to their shape (a bit like a mushoom with the parasol inside the head) and because they hunt using silent flight and sensetive hearing they don't want to make loads of noise turning round in a tree to look behind them. Most other raptors can turn thier heads almost as far as an owl.
2007-03-19 05:10:05 · answer #3 · answered by Aquila 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Owls can turn their heads around 270 degrees of the full circle. One tracking a sound will turn as far as it can one way, then turn quickly in the other direction to continue the circle. Some people watching the owl see the slow turning, but miss the quick repositioning and think they see the owl turn its head all the way around.
2007-03-19 02:01:18 · answer #4 · answered by searchpup 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Probably from cartoons. Birds however can swivel their necks 270 degrees. Actually swans can swivel their necks further than an owl can. This is because birds heads sit farther back on their necks and they have more cervical vertebrae than we do. Swans have 22, ducks have 16 and owls have 14 (humans have 7). Longer necks allow birds to reach feathers on their backs so they can groom themselves.
We have two bumps on the back of our skulls...occipital condyles. Birds have only one and this is another reason they have much more swivel power than we do.
Probably way more info than you wanted....but :)
2007-03-19 02:02:06 · answer #5 · answered by mental 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Owls (and other birds) can turn their head quite far around in either direction. Unobservant people interpret that as "all the way around."
2007-03-19 01:57:12 · answer #6 · answered by not too creative 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Is this a real question or do you just want to make sure people know that you know they can't?
2007-03-19 01:59:51 · answer #7 · answered by DeborahDel 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they get their education from cartoons.
2007-03-19 01:53:27 · answer #8 · answered by Cybeq 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because they can duh!
2007-03-19 01:56:13 · answer #9 · answered by jonah.kelsey 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋