Penny the Screech Owl and Alyssa Frediani of The Raptor Trust during their visit to Charles H. Bullock’s Kindergarteners. Inset: At left, Penny, and, at right, a Great Horned Owl, preserved by taxidermy.
Rounding out the Kindergarten owl study at the Charles H. Bullock School, Penny the Screech Owl and her handler Alyssa Frediani, from The Raptor Trust, treated each class to a presentation on Feb. 18: Owls are a Hoot! Students learned in greater detail about the special abilities, sounds, and senses that make owls such awesome nocturnal creatures.
“We’ve learned that owls make different sounds; screech owls trill, snowy owls bark, and great horned owls hoot,” said Beverly Weitzman, Curriculum Support Teacher.
Owls use their curved beak and sharp talons to catch prey and how their unique soft-edged feather structure allows them to fly silently and has been studied by both scientists and engineers and used in silencing both planes and wind turbines.
“Kindergarteners have identified and come to understand the purpose of owl body parts including eyes, beak, talons, feathers, and wings,” added Weitzman. “Our owl study will continue with a hands-on investigation of owl pellets to discover what owls eat from nature.”
The Raptor Trust, located in Millington, New Jersey, is recognized nationally for providing free care and assistance to injured, sick or orphaned wild birds. The Raptor Trust also provides educational programs about wild birds, especially birds of prey.
Penny was found in someone’s backyard as a baby 11 years ago. Unable to fly and catch her own food, she has remained at the Raptor Trust aviary and is an educational bird.