Learning Android

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Learning Android is a Little Owl.

The Little Owl is part of the taxonomic family Strigdae, which is informally known as “typical owl” or “true owl” (the other taxonomic family includes barn owls). True to its name, the Little Owl is small, measuring between 23 and 27.5 centimeters in length. It is native to the warmer areas of east Asia (particularly Korea), Europe, and North Africa and has been introduced and naturalized in Great Britain and the South Island of New Zealand.

The Little Owl is characterized by long legs and a round head with yellow eyes and white eyebrows; the eyebrows are said to give the owl a serious expression. The most widespread species, Athene noctua, is white and speckled brown on top and white-and-brown streaked on bottom. A species commonly found in the Middle East, A. n. lilith, or the Syrian Little Owl, is a pale grayish-brown.

The sedentary Little Owl typically makes its home in open country, such as parkland and farmland. It preys on amphibians, earthworms, insects, and even smaller mammals and birds; despite its diminutive stature, the Little Owl is able to attack many game birds. Unlike many of its true owl family members, the Little Owl is diurnal, or active during the day, during which it often perches openly. Depending on the habitat, the Little Owl builds nests in cliffs, rocks, holes in trees, river banks, and buildings. Little Owls that live in areas with human activity tend to get used to people and may perch ...