Facts about Owl

The taxon Dinosauria was formally named by the English palaeontologist Richard Owen in 1842 as "a distinct tribe or sub-order of Saurian Reptiles" (Owen 1842).

Such superstitions caused a minor disturbance when an owl showed up at Romanian President's residence, Cotroceni Palace.

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

The Hindi word for owl, ulloo is used to refer to a foolish person.

The smallest owl is the elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) of North America, at as little as 31 grams (1.1 ounces) and 13.5 centimeters (5.3 inches).

First, the dull coloration of an owl's feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions.

Most are solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (for example, the burrowing owl).

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

The vampiric strix of Roman mythology was in part based on the owl.

Once prey has been captured, the owl's sharp beak and powerful talons, or clawed feet, allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (unless it is too big).

Several types of owl, however, are crepuscular, or active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; one example is the pygmy owl (Glaucidium).

Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge of the owl's remiges muffle the owl's wingbeats, allowing its flight to be practically silent.

Much of the owl's hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise.

The addition of the w in her name changed her from a woman of flowers to an owl.

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