The forest surrounding my home, is thick with them. I hear them sounding off every night...
I've never seen one. Only recently have I seen eagles.
Ironic the nat'l symbol is a dump buzzard
Eagles are the most regal of the birds.
and yet they eat carrion.
Owls don't..at least, they don't eat carrion that they didn't kill.[/QUOTE
Not true.
There are two families of owl - the barn owl - Tytonidae- and everybody else - Strigidae, aka typical owls. In those two families there are more than 200 species. All are true carnivores and prefer to kill their food.
Except for vultures, birds can't smell and they hunt by sight and hearing. That means they cannot find carrion. But, I've seen owls eating dead deer. And yes, eagles eat carrion.
The bird I've worked the most and the one I legally own is a great horned owl. They're called the tiger of the sky and may be the only owl that takes skunks. I've gotten then into rehab drenched in skunk and miserable to work with.
I love raptors and learn something new every day.