If you have come this far in life without seeing the actual length of an owls legs, then that must change immediately. The internet is full of articles laughing at the pretty amusing images that google holds of owl’s legs. Don’t be fooled by the mass of feathers that cover the owls body, they’ll have you believe an owl is a ball of feathers with tiny little talons peeking out but this is certainly not the case.
So, why do owls have long legs?
The answer is primarily for extra strength when hunting so that the owl can effectively kill and carry their prey. Owls often attack their prey from above and therefore use these long legs to attach themselves onto their prey.
Owls legs are actually very long and it makes perfect sense really. These legs are the driving force behind the lethal talons used for hunting. Owls swoop feet first to attack and pick up prey therefore it would make little sense for them to have little feeble claws. They need strong, lengthy legs behind their super sharp talons. In fact an owls talons are the greatest of all raptors due to their impressive strength, they can exert around 30 pounds of pressure when they squeeze their talons into their prey. The owls long legs link to their angled pelvis which is common in birds that hunt primarily with their feet. They also have a long fibula which helps the owl to rotate its legs and feet for extra movement when catching prey.
If you watch an owl swoop down for their prey you can see how long their legs are when they are outstretched fully. Owls can carry prey much heavier than you would probably believe, for example the Great-Horned owl has been known to hunt our pet cats! That alone shows what the owls long legs need to be able to carry – weights up to four times their own!
Owls feet are bonier and stronger than most other birds, the underside has a rough surface for better grip. Their claws lock making escape for prey impossible. Owls have four toes, when flying or perching three face forwards and one faces backwards, this one is known as the hallux. Their toes are fairly short, thick and chunky aside from the hallux. The outer front toe will swivel backwards when the owl is clutching prey for a firmer grip. The hallux is used to stab the prey and then if the prey is still not dead, the owl will then apply force in order to crush the victim with its talons. These talons will then rip the prey up into smaller pieces if it is too large to eat whole.
I hope this post has answered the question affectively and now you feel well equipped with the knowledge behind why owls have long legs. Next time you come across an amusing internet meme showing this, you’ll understand why!