With an owl and a hawk perched on his arm, Emilio Menđušić from the Dubrava Falconry Centre in Šibenik, for the third consecutive year introduces visitors to the nature of these magnificent creatures.
Braco, the owl, and Dixie, the hawk, were here to break stereotypes about birds of prey, while curious minds of the visitors, especially the children, were keen to ask questions and learn more.
“Do owls have ears”, Menđušić asked, and after the audience guessed wrong looking at the two long feathers on the top of the owl’s head, he explained what it was really about.
“An owl does have two ears. One big, the other small, but we don’t see them. One is up, the other is further down, and both receive a separate sound, unlike us humans. In winter, when it snows, this allows it to hear with great precision how far the mouse is”, explained this falconer.
The audience also had the opportunity to learn how the eagle-owl’s eyes work. Those big orange eyes are the sharpest eyes in the world, Emilio told us. Unlike other birds, they are able to perceive depth of space, and they can see a mouse at a hundred metres. And, contrary to popular belief, they are not blind by day.
“During the day, they close their eyes so that the orange colour wouldn’t attract predators, because the owl is a master of camouflage. Its feathers are the colour of wood”, Menđušić explained.
He also poured water on Braco, and the owl remained perfectly dry. Namely, its feathers act as “a real umbrella”, they are covered with oils that protects them from soaking, so the owl stays dry even during the heaviest downpour.
Following Emilio’s directions, the audience refrained from touching Braco, but they took home a photo with this magnificent creature.
