Morning Starters: Spring 1 - Sight & Sound
Did You Know?
The ghost-like barn owl is a silent assassin, which possesses extraordinary hearing. With a heart-shaped face that funnels sound to its ears, this magnificent bird can pinpoint the slightest rustle of prey in the darkness. Scientists have discovered that barn owls can locate a mouse by the sound of its heartbeat!
Credit: BBC Two - Super Senses: The Secret Power of Animals
Word Challenge
List some hyphenated adjectives that could be used to describe a barn owl’s appearance, body parts or behaviour.
Hint: There are some contained within the ‘Did you know?’ paragraph.
Grammar Challenge
Write a sentence about a barn owl that includes a metaphor.
Example: The phantom of the night appeared for a fleeting moment and then vanished.
Number Challenge
- In 2022, around 1,360 barn owl nests were discovered across the UK.
If there was a 20% increase in the number of nests discovered the following year, how many nests were discovered in 2023?
Critical Thinking
Often depicted with an owl, Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, war and crafts.
Why do you think owls were associated with wisdom and war?