owl - External appearance, Species, Myth, lore, and popular culture, The Elusive White Owl

A predatory nocturnal bird, found worldwide; large head and broad flat face; forwardly directed eyes; acute sight and hearing; kills prey with talons and swallows whole, regurgitating bones, fur, etc as pellets. There are two families: typical owls (Strigidae, c.120 species) and barn owls, grass owls, and bay owls (Tytonidae, 11 species). Tytonidae differ in having smaller eyes, long slender legs, a serrated middle claw, and a heart-shaped face. Some typical owls have ear-like tufts on their head. The name owl is also used for unrelated moth owls of the family Aegothelidae. (Order: Strigiformes.)

iOwl
Northern Spotted Owl
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Strigiformes Wagler, 1830
Families
Strigidae Tytonidae

The owl is a solitary, mainly nocturnal bird of prey. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament.

Owls are classified in two families: the typical owls, Strigidae, and the barn owls, Tytonidae.

External appearance

Owls have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disc.

Different species of owls make different sounds.

Owl eggs are white and almost spherical, and range in number from a few to a dozen dependent on species.

Most owls are nocturnal, but several, including the pygmy owls (Glaucidium), are crepuscular, or twilight active, hunting mainly at dawn and dusk. A few owls, such as the Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia) and the Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), are also active during the day.

The smallest owls include the pygmy owls, some of which are only 13 cm (5.1 in) long, have a 32 cm (12.6-in) wingspan, and weigh only 50 g (1.76 oz). The largest owls are the eagle owls, the Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo and Verreaux's Eagle Owl B.

Species

There are 222 species of owls, which are subdivided into two families; typical owls (Strigidae) and barn owls (Tytonidae).

Typical Owls

Otus: scops owls, some 65 species Palau Owl, Pyrroglaux podarginus Cuban Screech Owl, Gymnoglaux lawrencii Northern White-faced Owl, Ptilopsis leucotis Southern White-faced Owl, Ptilopsis granti Mindanao Eagle Owl, Mimizuku gurneyi Horned owls and Eagle owls: Bubo; includes former genera Nyctea and Ketupa, some two dozen species Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus Eurasian Eagle Owl, Bubo bubo Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus Pel's Fishing Owl, Scotopelia peli Rufous Fishing Owl, Scotopelia ussheri Vermiculated Fishing Owl, Scotopelia bouvieri Strix: earless owls, some 15 species Mottled Owl, Ciccaba virgata Black-and-white Owl, Ciccaba nigrolineata Black-banded Owl, Ciccaba huhula Rufous-banded Owl, Ciccaba albitarsis Crested Owl, Lophostrix cristata Maned Owl, Jubula lettii Spectacled Owl, Pulsatrix perspicillata Tawny-browed Owl, Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana Band-bellied Owl, Pulsatrix melanota Northern Hawk Owl, Surnia ulula Pygmy owls: Glaucidium about 30-35 species Long-whiskered Owlet, Xenoglaux loweryi Elf Owl, Micrathene whitneyi Burrowing Owl, Athene/Speotyto cunicularia Spotted Owlet, Athene brama Little Owl, Athene noctua Forest Owlet, Athene/Heteroglaux blewitti Aegolius: saw-whet owls, 4 species Ninox: Australasian hawk-owls, some 20 species Papuan Hawk Owl, Uroglaux dimorpha Jamaican Owl, Pseudoscops grammicus Striped Owl, Pseudoscops/Asio clamator Asio: eared owls, 6-7 species Fearful Owl, Nesasio solomonensis Mascarenotus: Mascarene owls, 3 species (extinct) Laughing Owl, Sceloglaux albifacies (extinct)

Barn Owls

Genus Tyto Greater Sooty-owl, T. - Early Miocene of France) Nocturnavis Palaeobyas Palaeotyto Selenornis

Myth, lore, and popular culture

In many parts of the world, owls have been associated with death and misfortune, likely due to their nocturnal activity and common screeching call.

Henry David Thoreau summarized one perception of owls, when he wrote in 1854's Walden, "I rejoice that there are owls.

Africa

Ancient Egyptians used a representation of an owl for their hieroglyph for the sound m, although they would often draw this hieroglyph with its legs broken to keep this bird of prey from coming to life..

The Aztecs and Mayans, along with other natives of Mesoamerica, considered the Owl a symbol of death and destruction.

Asia

In Japanese culture, owls are seen as either negative or positive symbols depending on species. Owls are seen as divine messengers of the gods while Barn or Horned owls are perceived as demonic figures.

In Indian culture, a white owl is considered a companion of the goddess of wealth, and therefore a harbinger of prosperity.

In the ancient region of Akkadia (located in present-day Iraq), the demoness Lilith is thought to have been associated with (screech) owls as well.

Europe

In Greek mythology, the owl, and specifically the Little Owl, was often associated with the Greek goddess Athena, a bird goddess who often assumed the form of an owl.

The Romans, in addition to having borrowed the Greek associations of the owl, also considered owls to be funerary birds, due to their nocturnal activity and often having their nests in inaccessible places.

Likewise, in Romanian culture, the mournful call of an owl is thought to predict the death of somebody living in the neighbourhood.

The Elusive White Owl

The white owl is known throughout the United States as the most elusive of all owls.