Thoughtful Machine Learning

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Thoughtful Machine Learning is a Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), which is found, as its name suggests, primarily in Eurasia. With a wingspan of 74 inches and a total length of 30 inches for females (males are slightly smaller), the eagle-owl is the largest species of owl. The eagle-owl has distinctive ear tufts and orange eyes. It has a buff underbelly that is streaked with darker color.

Mostly found in mountainous regions or coniferous forests, the eagle-owl is a nocturnal predator that preys on small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects and earthworms. Eagle-owls prefer a concealed location for breeding, such as gullies or among rocks. They lay up to six eggs in the nest at intervals that hatch at different times. After the eggs are laid, the female incubates the eggs and broods the young while the male provides for her her and for the nestlings. After all of the eggs have hatched, parental care is continued for another five months.

The Eurasian eagle-owl has a number of vocalizations, including its song, which can be heard at great distances. It is a deep ooh-hu; the male emphasizes the first syllable, whereas females have a more high-pitched uh-hu song. In close quarters, eagle-owls express annoyance with bill-clicking and cat-like spitting, sometimes taking on a defensive posture: lowered head, ruffled back feathers, fanned tail, and spread wings.

Healthy adults have no natural predators, which makes them an apex predator, ...