Brookfield Zoo

by Susan Carlson
(CBS) Andre Copeland from the Brookfield Zoo dropped by our studio to teach us about great horned owls.

They're fascinating creatures. First of all, they are called horned owls because of what appears to be their ears on the top of their heads, but they aren't ears, just feathers.

"Those are feather tufts on the top of the head," Andre said. He brought in a great horned owl named Tex and his trainer Jennifer.

"Let's talk about their eyesight and their vision first of all," Susan said. "His eyes are just fascinating, his pupils are going big, small, big, small. He's looking everywhere. And their eyesight, I understand, is actually better than humans."

"Their eyesight is a lot better than ours because their eyes are a lot bigger than ours in relation to his body size," Andre said. "For example, if we were to have the eyes of a great horned owl they would be the size of naval oranges."

"That wouldn't be too attractive," Susan said.

"And since their eyes are so big, they can't rotate them in their sockets so they have to move their head in whatever direction they want to look. But their eyes are so powerful they can look right into the sun and still spot out a hawk flying around, as well as, be able to see just as well or better than a cat at night."

"Let's talk about how they do catch their prey. What are their methods and what tools do they have to do that more effectively?"

"Great horned owls unlike the other owls will catch their prey in three different ways. Sometimes you'll see them running around the forest floor, actually, trying it to catch mice; sometimes just soaring over a field; but more often than that they will sit on a branch and will use their keen eyesight or keen sense of hearing to track a mouse. For example, they can hear the footsteps a mouse would make up to 100 yards away. Then once they spotted their prey they will jump off of their perch and fly down using something known as silent flight. Tex has serrated edges to his feathers which lock his feathers together so when he flaps his wings, the feathers don't rustle so prey can't hear him coming and by the time the prey knows he is there, it is too late."

"Pretty sneaky, Tex," Susan said. Then she noticed his throat going in and out. "What is he trying to tell us now? Is he excited or mad? What's he going to do?"

"Well, he's a little excited and maybe a little bit nervous, he may have some stage fright and wants us to know he is here and he can take care of himself."

"How did he arrive at the Brookfield Zoo?"

"He arrived at Brookfield Zoo in 1985," Andre said. "Someone in Texas was keeping him illegally as a pet. The authorities confiscated him and Brookfield Zoo wound up being his home."

"And why are they illegal as pets? What's the reasoning behind that law?"

"Well, any North American animal is illegal to have as a pet here in the United States. That helps make sure that animals that aren't in danger of going extinct never go on the endangered species list."

"So, it is to protect the species and also -- maybe -- to protect the people."

"That's right. These animals are formidable predators, they have a grip as strong as Hulk Hogan's handshake, and you can see on the end of their feet they have very long, sharp talons."

They are fascinating animals but don't try to keep them in your own home. You can see Tex at Brookfield Zoo.

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