scanning for rodents

scanning for rodents, 

a barn owl swivels her head,

torso motionless

It's early evening but not yet dusk when I catch a glimpse of a large bird sitting on a post by the side of the road as I pass by. A hawk? The bird turns its head toward me and I immediately recognize the beautiful heart-shaped face of a barn owl, Tyto alba. At the bottom of the hill, I turn around and go back.
          From the darker plumage, the owl appears to be a female. She doesn't seem to mind my presence, so I watch in fascination as she scans the grasses for rodents, swiveling her head from front to back and up and down, all the while keeping her body in one position. At one point she does squat to peer forward and down, then straightens up, rotates her head to the left and peers down behind. This amazing head-swiveling is almost comical, yet it has evolved as is an extremely efficient hunting ability.
          Owls are known for their keen eyesight at night. The owl's large, tubular eyes are fixed in a relatively small skull, so the owl turns its head to focus. Without moving its torso, the owl can rotate its head around 270 degrees to see in all directions. Thus, with minimal motion and maximum attention, the owl waits silently and patiently for its prey.