ABOVE: Short-eared owls have
tufts of feathers resembling ears.
When they are defensive, these
‘ears’ stick up perceptibly.
The bird of prey nests on the
ground between March and June.
LEFT: A migrant European roller
kills a toad before swallowing it.
In the autumn, some populations
migrate to Africa through western
India. Although they are insect
eaters, they also prey on reptiles,
amphibians and rodents. Males
perform aerial acrobatics
during courtship.
RIGHT: A desert fox cub dashes
from one burrow to another.
The light pelage provides
excellent camouflage, but a cub
is vulnerable outside the den.
Until it becomes independent,
its parents feed it regurgitated
gerbils and other rodents.
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