This is Bird Note.

Back in grade school, we all likely had a teacher with an uncanny ability,

even with her back turned, to sense when we were up to no good.

You might say she had eyes in the back of her head.

In nature, there are a few birds that actually appear to have eyes in the back of their heads.

Birds like the Northern Pygmy Owl have large, black, eye-shaped markings on the feathered back of their brown heads,

a plumage adaptation that creates a pair of false eyes.

But why? One theory is that large false eyes may deter predators. They create the illusion that the pygmy owl is much bigger than its six-and-three-quarter-inch size.

A more current theory is that the false eyes help protect the pygmy owl's true eyes.

The little owl, which is active during daylight, is often subject to aggressive mobbing.

Small birds will surround, scold, and even strike the pygmy owl,

with some attacks directed at its eyes.

If the large false eyes can take the brunt of these attacks, little harm will come to the

owl's vulnerable, true eyes. For bird note, I'm Mary McCann.