[Kevin McGowan] As creatures of the night, owls can seem mysterious and kind of spooky. Some people think of them as bad omens, harbingers of death. But they can also be symbols of knowledge and wisdom.

Owls have fascinated people for millennia. Everyone knows what an owl is, even if you haven’t actually seen one in real life. They’re instantly recognizable, with their large, round heads, flat faces, and forward staring eyes. We seem to be drawn to them because they resemble people. They’re definitely birds, but they also kind of look like us.

Owls are birds, and they do the same kinds of things that all birds do: find food, preen their feathers, defend their territory, lay eggs and raise their young. But, unlike most other birds, owls do these things in the dark.

Hi, I’m Kevin McGowan. In this course we’ll investigate just what makes an owl an owl, and look at the diversity of owls throughout the world. We’ll explore owl “super powers” that let them own the night all around the globe.

We will examine the day to day life, or night to night life, of owls, looking at courting and breeding habits,
and how a baby owl goes from a downy fluff ball to an adult capable of hunting for itself.

We will listen in to the various hoots, toots, and screeches they make and talk about just what they are trying to say.

We will investigate the way that people have thought about and interacted with owls through the centuries and look at how owls are doing today.
We’ll talk about how to find owls, and what you can do to make a friendlier environment for owls near you.

Owls are just plain fascinating creatures. I hope you will join me in exploring the Wonderful World of Owls.