Rare baby owl explores habitat at Oregon Zoo
Rocky and Banff are the parents of young snowy owls at the Oregon Zoo’s Great Northwest habitat. Watch as the baby owls, which hatched last month, explore their habitat and are inspected.
In folklore, owls are said to be wise, but is that really true?
It is well known that owls are nocturnal.
But where did the wisdom characteristic of these birds come from, and why did we transfer it to long-living humans?
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The concept of owls being wise birds has its roots in ancient Greece and mythology.
“Owls have fascinated humans for centuries and have a reputation as a legacy of wisdom in modern society,” says Chad, senior coordinator of bird biology for the National Audubon Society’s Migratory Bird Initiative, based in Windham County, Vermont. Witko says.
A barred owl rests in a tree in the Atchafalilla Basin in southern Louisiana. Barred owls are primarily nocturnal and usually sleep during the day. The concept of owls being wise birds has its roots in ancient Greece and mythology. (Jon G. Fuller/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
While some cultures view owls differently, Witko says many cultures, including Western traditions, consider the owl to be a symbol of wisdom.
“This perception has its roots, in part, in ancient Greece, where Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is often depicted with an owl symbolizing her ability to see the whole truth,” he said.
This perception of wisdom is deeply rooted in their ecology, behavior and impressive appearance, he said.
What does appearance have to do with it?
Unlike many birds that have eyes on the sides of their heads, owls have eyes that point forward into flat discs on their faces, resembling a human or childlike face, Witko told Fox News Digital. told.
“The owl’s large, still eyes and ability to rotate its head up to 270 degrees make it appear to be alert and observant,” he says.
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And if you’ve ever seen an owl perched, you can’t help but see it staring at us, peering through us, sitting quietly, intently watching the world. “Hmm,” he said.
What are the other characteristics of these birds?
Owls have amazing hunting abilities and navigate the darkness with silent grace, Witko said.
They boast specially tuned feathers that allow them to approach prey unnoticed, and their keen hearing helps them pinpoint movement outdoors, under vegetation, or under layers of snow. .
At the Scottish Owl Center, an owl named Cinder, a long-eared owl, is pictured preparing for Halloween on a pumpkin carving. (SWNS)
“Despite these characteristics, scientific studies of owl intelligence are limited compared to studies of birds such as parrots, starlings, and crows,” he noted.
“These birds are social creatures and often have larger brains and higher intelligence to communicate with each other and build social systems.”
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Owls are generally solitary except during the breeding season. And much of the bird’s brain is used less for problem-solving and social building and more for improving its ability to see and hear, Witko told Fox News Digital.
Where can I find owls?
Owls are highly adaptable birds and can live in many different types of habitats.
According to Medium, they live all over the world, from the arctic to the tropics, and can survive in environments that are difficult for other animals to live in.
“Owls live in diverse habitats around the world, on every continent except Antarctica.”
“Owls live in diverse habitats around the world, on every continent except Antarctica, from arctic tundra to rainforests and even large cities, with 247 species recognized worldwide. ” Witko said.
Close-up portrait of a great horned owl. “Owls live in diverse habitats around the world, from arctic tundra to tropical rainforests, on every continent except Antarctica.” (St. Petersburg)
Nearly 20 species regularly occur in the United States and Canada.
No matter where they are found, owls face many conservation challenges today, including habitat loss, climate change, and exposure to pesticides and rodenticides, Witko said.
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“Understanding their movements through tracking technology can help conservation efforts,” he said. “By learning more about owl migration, we can better protect these majestic birds and the ecosystems they inhabit.”
Do we call old humans “wise old owls”?
References to owls being wise can be found in everything from Homer’s The Iliad to AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh.
While it’s true that owls are outstanding hunters in the food chain, they’re probably no more intelligent than many other birds, Mental-Floss points out.
A rare snowy owl looks down from its perch high above the large marble globe of the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain at the entrance to Union Station on Friday, January 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
One study found that a species of great gray owl repeatedly failed a simple cognitive test (pulling a string to get a treat) that several other species of birds had successfully done. the same source said.
Still, while owls may not have the intelligence or cleverness in the human sense of some birds, their unique adaptability and ecological importance make them “a precious symbol of the natural world.” “, Witko told Fox News Digital.
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Some of the folklore surrounding the belief that owls are wise derives from the nursery rhyme “The Wise Old Owl.”
There it is written: “There lived a wise old owl in an oak tree. The more he saw, the less he spoke, and the less he spoke, the more he heard. You can’t be like that, can you?”
In American culture, there is still a link between wisdom and aging, and its basis is in biology.
References to owls as wise can be found in everything from Homer’s The Iliad to AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, and depictions of old humans as wise old owls persist to this day. Remaining. (St. Petersburg)
As people grow older, their minds develop further. Psychology Today pointed out that this is a direct byproduct of living longer and experiencing more.
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“Older people are usually more skilled than younger people in certain aspects of cognition, especially in different ways of solving problems and in making life plans and future goals,” the official said. .
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