Page 7 - The Shores of Jupiter- November '23

The Shores, Page 7
Book Review

What An Owl Knows: The New an owl do this, adjust its One chapter, Who Gives a Hoot, includes the
Science Of The World’s Most facial disk when it hears experiences of researcher Karla Bloem, who devoted
something interesting.
an extensive amount of time studying variations in owl
Enigmatic Birds It’s like the disk itself is a language at just one site:
kind of aperture, an ‘eye,’ “After hundreds of hours of meticulous observation,
By Nils A. Shapiro that opens wide to let in Bloem managed to characterize and describe fifteen
Author Jennifer Ackerman more sound and bounce separate vocalizations: six sorts of hoots, four types of
could just as well have it toward the ears.” chitters, and five kinds of squawks, including an alarm
retitled her book What We note: The use of the squawk like an eerie shriek. She also noted that the owls
Know About Owls, packed term “ears,” in owls, even have nonvocal communication. When they’re fearful or
as it is with many hundreds in such species names as agitated, they’ll hiss or clack their bills.”
of fascinating facts about the long-eared owls or short- Perhaps the major reason why owls are so popular
260 owl species to be found eared owls, is confusing. worldwide is their most instantly recognizable feature as
throughout almost every The actual ears used by the only bird whose big round eyes face forward, like ours,
continent, from the tiny elf owls for listening are in the front of their faces. All other birds’ eyes are situated
owl, the size of a pine cone vertical slits on the sides on the sides of their heads.
only a few inches high, to the of their heads. But unlike we humans, who can move our eyes left and
massive Eurasian eagle-owl that can take down a deer – or Owls are nocturnal, hunting at night for prey that includes right with a limited degree of peripheral vision in order to
Blakiston’s fish owl, the world’s biggest owl, the size of a most commonly – depending on the owl species and size – see what is happening on each side of us, an owl’s eyes
fire hydrant with a 6-foot wingspan! rodents, insects, mice, rabbits, squirrels, possums, lemmings are fixed facing forward. However, they make up for that
The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships in the case of snowy owls, and other small mammals and by being able to swivel their heads around in a way that
and author of five earlier successful books – including birds. Because of their incredible hearing, and the fact that the we cannot:
The Bird Way and national bestseller The Genius of Birds unique design of their wings enables them to swoop down on “While it’s a myth that owls can rotate their heads
– Ackerman’s own awe and appreciation for the skills prey in complete silence, they are among the natural world’s from a starting point facing forward, some species, like
and natural physical attributes that these extraordinary most efficient hunters. They do not even have to be able to Great Grays and Barn Owls, can turn their heads almost
creatures have evolved over the 100 million years since see their prey in order to be successful! three quarters of the way around, 270 degrees – three
they have existed on this planet is clear from first page “A Great Gray Owl is listening, always listening. Its times the twisting flexibility humans possess … that an
to last. The following brief passages serve as examples, head rotates to glean the source of a sound. Its ears are so owl’s neck can move swiftly and smoothly through those
some of the text has been omitted for lack of space here, acutely tuned, it can discern the faint footfall of a shrew 270 degrees of rotation is due to some clever adaptations,
and been replaced by ellipses (…): in the forest, the wingbeat of a Canada Jay, the muffled a loose S shape that gives it flexibility, and a system of
“With a head designed for listening … the flat, gray rustle of a vole tunneling deep beneath the snow. It will bones and blood vessels that minimizes disruption of
head disk of a Great Gray Owl is like one huge external fly to the spot, hover over it, head facing down toward the blood flow through the neck to the eye and the brain
ear, a feathered satellite dish for collecting sound … The sound, then just before impact thrust its legs forward and when the head rotates.”
facial disk in owls that hunt primarily by sound is outlined punch through snow more than a foot and a half deep to And I haven’t even touched upon an owl’s vision, with
with a ruff of stiff interlocking feathers that capture sound seize its prey.” its ultraviolet spectrum.
waves and channel them toward the ears, like people But Ackerman has equal respect for the professional There is so much more here to enjoy, and from which
cupping their hands around their ears. Feathers in the scientists, students and volunteers who often dedicate years to learn. Plus 50 black-and-white photos and a section of
back of the disk direct high-pitched sounds toward the of their lives under the most incredibly difficult physical full-color photos that add greatly in helping you to identify
ears, so the owl hears less noise from its surroundings and stressful conditions worldwide, studying every aspect different owl species.
and can focus on prey cues. of owls’ lives in order to build the base of knowledge that
“(The owl) can even change the shape of the disk by using will help protect the survival of owl species at a time when
muscles at the base of the feathers, shifting from a resting state many are at risk of extinction due to climate change and it’s the law!
to the alertness of an active hunt. It’s remarkable to watch other human influences.
did you Know that, in

Florida…

By Adam S. Gumson,
Esq.
Did you win the
lottery? Print your
name on the back of the
ticket and complete the
information requested
there immediately. A
winning lottery ticket
is like a check: Anyone
in possession of it can
present it, along with a
government issued identification card (and Winner Claim
Form if over $600) and walk away with the winnings.
Don’t make any other alterations as doing so could delay
the payment of your winnings.
More than 13 million parents are separated or
divorced in households where children are under the
age of 21 with the vast majority of custodial parents
being the mother. Sadly, less than one-half of those
awarded child support actually collect the full
amount.
Naming a beneficiary in your will or trust does not
guarantee that the beneficiary receives the particular
asset because a valid Beneficiary Designation Form
(“BDF”) takes precedence.
So, make sure that your BDFs align with your
present wishes or the beneficiaries in your will/trust
will not receive the assets in those particular accounts.
A guardian is a surrogate decision-maker
appointed by the court to make either personal and/
or financial decisions for a minor or for an adult with
mental or physical disabilities. After adjudication, the
subject of the guardianship is called the ward.
Jupiter Law Center is a private neighborhood
law firm located in the RiverPlace Professional
Center, 1003 W. Indiantown Road, Suite 210, Jupiter,
Fla., (561) 744-4600, jupiterlawcenter.com. The
firm provides peace of mind by solving problems
with integrity and compassion in the areas of estate
and business planning; probate, guardianship and
trust administration; probate and guardianship for
personal injury firms; family law; and real estate.