[The Brain Scoop Intro] Have you heard any good owl jokes lately? They're a hoot! Nahhhhh... There's no denying that owls have seen a recent surge in popularity, and this can only be attributed to the well-researched scientific that owls are awesome. There are over 200 different species of owls that comprise the order Strigiformes, and they range in size and shape from the smallest owl--which is the elf owl, only about 5 inches tall--to the tallest owl, the great grey owl, which can be up to 33 inches, almost three feet tall. All owls have large, forward-facing eyes and large bones called sclerotic rings hold their eyes in place as owls turn their heads from side to side. Up to 270 degrees, which is about 135 degrees in either direction. This large range of movement is made possible because owls have 14 cervical--or neck--vertebrae, whereas humans only have seven. Although they do have great vision and many nocturnal species have additional rods in their eyes to pick up movement in low light situations, it's actually their hearing that helps them find their prey at night. Some owls can hear rodents scurrying underneath the snow at night without actually being able to see them. Owls also have something called facial rufts, which help to amplify the sound and give them superpower hearing abilities. Once they capture their prey, usually amphibians, small birds, or rodents, owls will swallow them whole and later regurgitate all of the nasty, indigestible bits, like the fur and bones and nails. These dried vomit clumps are commonly referred to as owl pellets, although this behavior is also performed by many other bird species, everything from songbirds to shorebirds. You can even by sterilized barn owl pellets and dissection kits online! I've included a link in the description. Nothing says romance quite like, 'Hey, wanna go dig through some congealed raptor vomit with me?' Owls are notoriously silent flyers, and many species (such as the great grey) are nearly impossible to detect in the wild because of their sneakiness and camouflage. Serrated edges on their primaries--those long, stiff flight feathers--muffle an owl's wing beats, making their flight nearly silent. Perhaps it's because of their elusive and mysterious nature that owls have become shrouded in folklore. Some cultures represent owls as being wise and courageous, while others associate them with trickery and bad luck. Other people, even today, believe that if you spot an owl, you can take it as a bad omen that somebody you know has died. Great! Eight of my closest friends are dead. [Credits]