Owls are a type of bird from the order Strigiformes. There are about 200 types of owl, most of them don’t live in groups. They are solitary and nocturnal, active mostly at night. Owls are birds of prey, which means that they hunt other animals for food, usually other vertebrates. Birds of prey have strong claws and very good eyesight. Owls are found in every part of the world, except Antarctica, Greenland and a few islands.
   
Owls generally have a large, broad head with a flat face. Most birds have their eyes on the sides of their heads, but owls have big eyes that look forward to help them see better at night. The eyes are fixed in the head, so to look in a different direction owls have to turn the whole head. They have very flexible necks so they can turn their heads 270 degrees in both directions.

Most owls hunt at night, but some owls also hunt during the day. They eat all kinds of small mammals, like mice, rabbits, squirrels, insects and other birds. Some species also eat fish. Owls have special feathers that are soft with an irregular edge. This helps them to fly without making any noise, so they can surprise their victims. The owls catch their prey with their long, sharp claws and use their beaks to kill and eat it. They eat small animals whole and then spit out, or eject, the bones, fur and feathers. 

Most owls are monogamous and stay with the same partner during their lives. They don’t make nests themselves. Sometimes they use nests that were made by other birds, or they nest in holes in the ground, hollow trees or old farm buildings. Owls usually lay three or four eggs. Unlike other birds, the eggs of owls are white and are almost perfectly round.

Perfect season for Hunt with more canoe slalom records

Australia’s Melissa Hunt has won the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championship in Rio, making her the best woman paddler in the history of the sport.

Hunt has won the title four times, she has also won the C1 double for the second time and didn’t have a single defeat the whole season.

“It’s been a fantastic season, a fantastic world championship, I’m so thrilled,” Hunt said. “Yesterday was a hard day for me, I couldn’t celebrate because I had the C1 semi-finals in the afternoon. But now it’s finished, I’m so happy to share this moment with my family and my team.”

 

Thunderbirds win Netball Quad Series title

New Zealand West Coast Thunderbirds won another Netball Quad Series with a score of 60–52 against the South Africa Tumbleweeds in Melbourne Arena.

The South African team fought hard during the first quarter but the New Zealand Thunderbirds showed again that they can resist pressure, and by half-time the score was 30–26.

New Zealand goal shooter Natalie Fox dominated the game in the second half and, with her strength and accuracy, made life more and more difficult for the Tumbleweed goalkeeper.

Tumbleweed coach Nora Billings said, “We started the match badly and New Zealand took advantage of all our errors.”

 

Husseyn breaks European half-marathon record

Dutchwoman Samira Husseyn surprised everyone with her brilliant performance in the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday where she broke the European record with a time of 65 minutes 15 seconds.

In Copenhagen Samira was more than half a minute faster than Ethiopia’s Aster Hadero, who came in second at 65 minutes 46 seconds. “I thought I was going to die again and again,” said Husseyn. “It was so hard, but I just kept going.”

More than 22,000 people took part in the fourth edition of the Copenhagen Half Marathon this year, including athletes from 115 countries.

Four Foods That Will Bring You Good Luck in the New Year

In the New Year, in many countries around the world people believe that eating certain foods can bring good luck. It’s true! Even if you don’t believe in these traditions, why not try them? You have nothing to lose – maybe you won’t get rich or live forever, but you will love these traditional New Year’s dishes!

Long noodles
In China noodles are always on the menu on New Year’s Eve because they symbolise long life. The longer the noodle, the longer your life – so don’t bite or cut them! Long life noodles are longer than normal and they are often served with chicken, ginger and a variety of vegetables.

Lentils
A special lentil dish with sausages is served on New Year’s Eve in Italy. The lentils look like little coins, and it is believed that eating this dish will bring prosperity in the new year. The lentils are cooked with a variety of herbs and served with cotechino pork sausage. Delicious!

Green vegetables
The green colour of vegetables such as spinach, beans or lettuce symbolises money in some parts of the United States. The probable reason for this is that the dollar note is green. People believe that eating green vegetables will bring good luck in the new year. In the south-eastern United States, for example, fried collard greens – a type of cabbage – are part of the traditional New Year’s meal. The more you eat, the more money you will have!

Pickled herring
In Germany, Poland and Scandinavia pickled herring is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve. Herring is a very common type of fish in Europe, and the silver colour of its skin looks like coins. The herrings are preserved in vinegar with onion and spices.