The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is found in most parts of the world, with one major lineage in the New World, one in Australasia, and another in Eurasia and Africa. The 28 subspecies, between 33 and 39 cm (13 and 15 in) in length, have wingspans ranging from 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in). Their colours vary, but most have mottled grey or brown plumage and paler underparts, with a white, heart-shaped face. The barn owl relies on acute hearing to detect small mammals and other prey, hunting almost exclusively at night. It does not hoot, but utters an eerie, drawn-out shriek. It mates for life unless one of a pair dies, when a new pair bond may be formed. The nest is in a hollow tree, old building or cliff; the female does all the incubation, and she and the young chicks rely on the male for food. When large numbers of small prey are available, barn owl populations can expand rapidly. Globally, the species is not threatened, except for some subspecies with restricted ranges. (Full article...)
... that Dutch Nazi, actor, and theater critic Adriaan van Hees became depressed when he discovered he was part Jewish, but still volunteered for the SS—and was denied?
In the news
Alexander Van der Bellen (left) and Norbert Hofer(right)
1950 – A mentally ill Buddhist monk set fire to the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji, destroying what is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan.
2002 – American aviator Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon, completing an almost 14-day trip after landing in Queensland, Australia.
The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gardon River in southern France. Located near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard, the bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because of the uneven terrain between the two points, the mostly underground aqueduct followed a long, winding route that called for a bridge across the gorge of the Gardon River. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts, and, along with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved.
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