As night falls over the countryside, a ghostly looking barn owl leaves its roost and sets off across the fields. Flying on silent wings, the owl’s evening hunting trip is lit by the moon. By hunting at night, this beautiful bird does not have to compete with daytime fliers, such as kestrels and hawks.
Silent stalker Superbly adapted to the dark, the barn owl uses its supersharp senses of hearing and sight to locate mice and voles. Soft feathers along its wings allow it to fly silently so it can listen for even the faintest sound of prey.
Owl eyes z Just like your ears, a barn owl’s heart-shaped face collects sounds. The owl’s ears are hidden under feathers, and one is slightly higher than the other to help pinpoint the tiniest of sounds.
Owl eyes z A barn owl’s big eyes are essential for catching as much light as possible so it can see in the gloom. An owl can only look straight ahead, but it has a very flexible neck and can turn its head around and almost upside down
Mealtime Perched on a rock, the barn owl settles down to enjoy its catch. It can’t chew its food into pieces, so it usually swallows it whole. Any bits of fur and bones that it can’t digest are coughed up as black pellets, revealing exactly what the owl has eaten.
A lifelong bond
Barn owls build nests in holes in trees, in barns, and in nest boxes. A male and female pair up for life, using the same nest site every year. They usually lay two to three eggs, which hatch into hungry chicks that keep their parents busy hunting for food.
LIGHTING THE DARK
As night falls, darkness settles over the forest world. Even the brightest moonlight doesn’t cut through the trees. Beneath the inky blackness of the night sky, the forest animals have developed ways of being able to see, and be seen, in the gloom.
Shine a light z Some living things can make their own light. This ability is called bioluminescence. Among them are deep-sea fish, squid, and even sharks. In the forest, the most famous light-producers are fireflies.
If you see twinkling lights in the forest on a summer’s night, they could well be made by fireflies, also called lightning bugs. Fireflies can make their own light, and switch it on and off at will, like tiny flashlights. Different species of firefly create different patterns of light as they fly through the night. Some give out short flickers of light, with long gaps in between. Others create a long-lasting glow.
Some species of firefly have an amazing talent. They can synchronize their flashing lights. That means they can turn them on and off in perfect unison, in short bursts. At certain times of the year, thousands of fireflies gather together for the mating season. A few begin flashing, then the others join in as the days pass. The result is a magical, glittering light show that shimmers through the night sky.
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国家地理英文教材练习册_DK原版书籍_剑桥牛津杂志桥梁书-悠悠乐英语资源 » DK 2020新书 Through the Night Sky A collection of amazing adventures under the stars穿越夜空星空下的冒险