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The leading parts of a night hunter's wings--which cut the air when the bird flies--have soft, serrated edges. These soft leading edges, lightweight wings and a large wing surface area let an owl fly and glide in total silence. As its flight is noiseless, an owl easily hears other sounds while hunting. It descends to its target in a silent, mothlike glide.

An owl grips and kills prey with its talons. Two of these strong, sharp claws branch off the front toes of the foot, and two off the back toes. If the prey is small enough, the owl swallows it whole; otherwise it holds the kill with its talons, tears the carcass apart with its hooked beak and bolts the pieces. The owl's stomach absorbs nutritious portions and forms indigestible matter (hair, feathers, bones, claws. insect chitin) into round pellets regurgitated about seven hours later.

Pellets, also called castings, can be found under daytime roosts or nighttime feeding stations. Generally, the larger the owl, the larger its pellets. Pellets can be broken apart and the hard bony parts separated from the fur and feathers. Close examination of the hard items gives insight into the owl's diet.

Most owls call to attract members of the opposite sex during mating season and to announce individual territory. They also call softly for short-range communication between mates or between parents and offspring. When cornered or frightened, owls hiss or make clicking noises by snapping their mandibles (upper and lower parts of the bill).

Owls don't build nests, preferring to take over abandoned crow or hawk nests or use holes in trees or banks. They may add lining material to existing nests. Early nesters, some even lay eggs in late winter; by the time fledglings leave the nest, offspring of other wildlife abound and are fairly easy prey for the inexperienced young owls.

Owl eggs are rounded, white and undecorated, usually 3-5 in number. Incubation is generally the female's responsibility, while the male hunts and brings food to the female. After the eggs hatch, both female and male feed the young.

Nestlings wear thick white or light gray down. Young found in the same nest are invariably of different sizes, because incubation starts as soon as the female lays the first egg (unlike most other birds, which begin incubating only after all eggs are laid), and therefore this egg hatches first. As much as two weeks may pass between the laying and hatching of the first and last eggs. Young hatched latest will die if the parents cannot find enough food in the area around the nest, as they can't compete with the larger, older nestlings. This natural check balances predator population with food supply and ensures that surviving fledglings are strong.

During the day, most owls stay in hollow trees or dark, dense stands of vegetation. They hunt mainly at night--occasionally at dusk or on cloudy days--quartering the ground in silent flight or scanning it from a convenient perch.

Owls generally kill what's easiest to catch or find. As with most predators, they are blamed for killing more game and poultry than they actually do. In reality, they are beneficial birds that prey on many pest species. Mice and wood rats form a major part of the larger owls'diets; smaller owls eat insects and small mammals. All Pennsylvania owls are protected by the Game Law and federal regulations.

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