My interest in owls made me a huge fan of Farley Mowat’s Owls in the Family...a great read at any age. Then, of course, there is Owl in Winnie the Pooh, Hedwig in Harry Potter and Athene/Minerva’s owl in Greek and Roman mythology. Owls are a very popular topic in literature. References to owls appear in many cultures and represent many different beliefs.
There are about two hundred different types of owls and they are found all around the world. The great grey owl is the biggest in terms of length. The smallest owl is the elf owl.
In western cultures, owls are associated with wisdom. So what is it that makes an owl so wise? Apparently, they aren’t any smarter than most other birds. They are, however, incredible creatures with some really amazing adaptations. Maybe we think they are smart because they are like us in some ways and also because they can do some really cool things that we can’t.
Imagine being able to swivel your head 270º. Talk about eyes in the back of your head. What parent wouldn’t appreciate that? Owls have binocular vision, just like humans. Although they are farsighted, owls have great night vision. Just think about never bumping into anything when you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Owls have really large eyes and that, quite frankly, just makes them look smart.
Owls have incredible hearing. Many species of owls have different sized ears placed at different heights on their heads. This allows them to hear from different angles. Additionally, the flattened facial disk of the owl funnels sound directly to the ears, magnifying the sound up to ten times. Owls can hear things that they can’t actually see. Even with your Spock ears on, you can’t hear that well. In truth, it might be distracting to have such good hearing. Although, as we age, owl ears might be advantageous.
Owls are skilled in flight. They are strong and silent as they fly slowly and with purpose. From Icarus to the Wright Brothers, people have looked at birds and wanted to fly. Just imagine being able to soar above the earth and look down with a perspective so different from standing on terra firma. The closest experience I can imagine would be hang gliding or parasailing. No wonder these sports are so popular!
Owls are generally solitary, but when they are in groups, the group is called a parliament. In human terms, we cannot always assume that our governing bodies have the wisdom of owls, which you will recall aren’t really any smarter than most other birds...
Owls really are amazing...owl-some, one might say. If you are lucky enough to be able to see the occasional owl, count yourself fortunate. I am looking forward to my next sighting. In the meantime, I will continue knitting my owl hats. Perhaps I will even consider hang gliding or parasailing. Maybe not. Well, maybe.
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