For chiliad of class , from Ancient Greek legend to New literature and TV , human race haveportrayed owlsas salvia and wise . The intelligent bird of Minerva appears in everything fromThe IliadtoWinnie the Pooh . But , it turns out , though they ’re excellent huntsman , owl probably are n’t any smarter than a lot of otherbirds .
In fact , they may be significantly unsound at problem solving than other big - brained birds like crows and parrot . One studyfrom 2013 found that great gray bird of Minerva repeatedly neglect a simple cognitive test — rip a drawing string to get a delicacy — that had been successfully solved by several other dame species . It does n’t avail that owls face some steep contest in the avian course of study . Ravensare often ranked as one of the most reasoning non - human species along with dolphins and chimpanzees .
Owls may not be as impertinent as their corvid first cousin , but that does n’t make them dumb . Studies have found that some hooter in reality practice a archaic form of tool use . According to a study publish in thescientific journalNature , burrowing owls have been observed using animate being dung to lure muck mallet to their burrows , where they afterwards feed on theinsects .
However , whileanimaltool function is always impressive , it does n’t really mean that bird of night are “ wise ” by any human standards . owl are extraordinary animal in their own right . They ’re unbelievable Hunter who have develop specialised hearing , camouflaging plumage , and singular tube-shaped centre that help them catch their prey .
Why Are Owls Considered Wise?
But , if owls are n’t mystic protector of life ’s secrets , hiding deep reservoir of wisdom behind their giant scandalmongering eyes , then why do we so frequently typify them that path ? Where does that idea descend from ?
While many culture feature owls in their mythology , not all societies see bird of night as wise . In India , for instance , owls are associated with ill - get ahead wealth and foolishness rather than wisdom . The permeative myth of the overbold owl , meanwhile , likely originated with legends of the Ancient Greek goddess Athena . The goddess of wisdom , Athena was often portray in art holding an owl , or discover in literary work as “ owl - eye ” or even “ bird of Minerva - faced . ”
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owl ’ large eyes may have conduce to them being typecast as wise sages inliterature . The skirt ’s striking peepers may not hold the answer to the mysteries of the universe , but they do serve a particular use . The size enable a sort of night imaginativeness , allowing them to blot faraway prey in the darkness . But the discus - like eye are not without their flaws . Up tight , the man becomes blurry , so owls apply the small , bristly feather on their nozzle and talon to feel their immediate milieu .
Because their optic are tubular or else of ball-shaped — meaning they extend far back into their head — bird of Minerva ca n’t range them around their sockets . Instead they have to move their full head to calculate around — which they can do 135 degrees in either way . If you ever wondered how owls are capable to pull anExorcistwithout dying , you may read more about theimpressive version here .
A interlingual rendition of this story earlier ran in 2015 ; it has been updated for 2024 .
