Owls
@working4theweekend (2403)
United States
December 13, 2006 10:08am CST
I really think owls are cool, but it freaks me out when they turn their heads around.
Does anyone know what the term is for an animal that can turn it's head around? Is there a term for this?
Also, what is a person who studies owls called?
I think owls are beautiful. Some famous owls in media are the owl from Bambi, the one from The Fox and the Hound, the Tootsie Roll Pop owl. Can you think of any others?
8 people like this
34 responses
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
14 Dec 06
I, too, am very fond of owls (and most of my usernames have something to do with owls). The Greek for owl (or one kind, at least) is Tyto, so someone who studies owls is probably a tytologist.
My favorite owl is Merlin's owl, Archimedes, in the Sword and the Stone.
1 person likes this
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
15 Dec 06
Thanks for telling me that, I was trying to find the answer online and was having no luck whatsoever! I had forgotten about Archimedes! I used to love that movie when I was a kid, too, Disney has a version and it's really funny.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112987)
• El Paso, Texas
11 Jan 20
I like Hedwig, that's one beautiful owl @working4theweekend
1 person likes this
@amit312_18 (638)
• India
13 Dec 06
The owl is a solitary, mainly nocturnal bird of prey. Owls belong to the order Strigiformes, in which there are 222 known species. Owls mostly hunt small mammals, insects, and other birds, though a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland, and some remote islands. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament.
Otus: scops owls
Palau Owl
Cuban Screech Owl
Northern White-faced Owl
Southern White-faced Owl
Mindanao Eagle Owl
Horned owls and Eagle owls
Snowy Owl
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Great Horned Owl
Pel's Fishing Owl
Rufous Fishing Owl
Vermiculated Fishing Owl
earless owls
Mottled Owl
Black-and-white Owl
Black-banded Owl
Rufous-banded Owl
Crested Owl
Maned Owl
Spectacled Owl
Tawny-browed Owl
Band-bellied Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Pygmy owls
Long-whiskered Owlet
Elf Owl
Burrowing Owl
these are enuff i think.....
@alicia6068 (547)
• United States
14 Dec 06
THE OWL FROM WINNIE THE POOH!:) CANT FORGET HIM! I ALSO LIKE OWLS. MY FAV. NE IS THE SNOWY WHITE OWL. BEAUTIFUL!:)
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I can't believe I forgot the Winnie the Pooh owl! Man! I'm off my game today. Also the Tootsie Roll Pop owl!
@bacardibarbiebabe (627)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Owls cannot turn their heads all the way around. They can, however, turn their heads an impressive three quarters of the way around. This, combined with very rapid head movement sometimes gives the illusion they have turned their heads all the way around. They turn their heads because there is no room in their heads for eye muscles and must move their heads to change their field of view. They are able to accomplish such head movement due to an "extra" vertebra in their necks.
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Thanks for the info, I didn't realize that, I always thought they were turning it the whole way around which really grossed me out. Do you know if there are other animals who do this, or just the owl?
@Catkin (480)
• United States
7 Jan 07
Some other birds of prey are able to turn their heads fairly far around, for the same reason owls can: relatively immobile eyes. I know it's been mentioned that owls can't move their eyes at all, and this is true; there are many raptors (birds of prey) that can only move their eyes a tiny bit, and so they, too, have very flexible necks.
On a related note: for several years I volunteered with the local zoo's bird of prey program. At one point, our Eurasian Eagle Owl had to be knocked out for his talons to be coped (this just means trimmed/filed, but it also goes for their beaks) and while this was being done, the vet let us look in the owl's ear...through which we could see the back of his eye! Their eyes are kind of bell shaped, and of course it was shielded by tissue and skin in the ear, but it was bizarre nonetheless. After all, if the mass of an owls eyes is compared to the mass of its brain, its eyes weigh more...so much for wise owls!
@moonflowerpixy (536)
• United States
14 Dec 06
How about the owls in Harry potter? The owl is a symbol of wisdom, deep learning and underworld dieties. There is a welsh moon goddess called Blodeuwedd (blood u wed) that turned in to an owl. They are very sacred, along with the cougar, to the cherokee indians for their ability to see in the dark. Yes,... they are very beautiful!:)
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
15 Dec 06
I forgot about the Harry Potter owl! :) I guess they are used more in movies than I thought. I didn't know about Blodeuwedd, that's a very cool story!
@friend_sunit (62)
• India
13 Dec 06
owls, i feel that owls are cool, but here in INDIA, there are many superstitions regarding owls, hope u know them.
I don't think there is any name for those who study owls..
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
13 Dec 06
What are the superstitions about India? I'd be interested in learning more about this!! :)
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
14 Dec 06
Oh, I was asking what those superstitions WERE - I'm not familiar with the legends.
@sureshmoe (974)
• India
14 Dec 06
Yeah!!! i accept ur points. But my older people says that if the owls produce the sound at the time of go to any place from my home, it will leads to some bad problem, bad thing happens for ours. But I don't know, this is right or wrong information...
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
15 Dec 06
Are you saying that if an owl makes his sound when you're leaving the house, you'll have bad luck for hours? That's kind of like seeing vultures in the desert!~ :)
@scorpius (1792)
• India
14 Dec 06
i do not know what a person is called who studies owls or the medical term but i do know why owl's turn thioer head all the way around.owl's cannot move thier eyes in thier head so therefore to see the prey they have to tur the head all the way around.it is somethng that evolution gave them to overcome thier shortfall as far as thier eyes were concerned!
to know more abt owls pls go to the links i have given below!
http://www.naturepark.com/bowlinfo.htm
http://www.spiritquill.com/owls.html
http://www.thewildones.org/SFC/Seana/zak.html
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
8 Jan 07
Their voice is "rude"? I don't know about that, it's just the way they talk!
@Etharon (217)
• Malaysia
14 Dec 06
I don't have a clue what people who study owls are called. I don't think they actually specialise in just a particular type of bird. I visited our national bird park recently and thought that I would share a picture of the owl that was there.
Sorry about the cage though, hope you can still see the owl. Its quite a nice looking owl.
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
8 Jan 07
Poor baby looks miserable. I'm sad to see animals locked up but sometimes it's better for them, like when they are endangered and need to be bred captively or protected from poachers. I think animals are so much more beautiful when they are FREE.
@kiranscorner (74)
• India
14 Dec 06
well owls....r considered as ill omen in this part of our country..but yes they have this unique quality of sensing very low vibrations......n mre over..they r reffered as party animals...ths alll i kine abt owls
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
8 Jan 07
Why are owls considered an ill omen in your country? Is that a legend or part of your culture?
@coolcager (496)
• Costa Rica
14 Dec 06
Yes they are cute. And they are a symbol of wisdom. And they really do have big eyes. maybe they can really see dark places.
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
8 Jan 07
He is funny looking - where did you get that pic?
@shraddha_chandwadkar (135)
• United States
14 Dec 06
I too think that owl is a beautiful and cute bird. My 18 month old likes the picture of the owl too. He keeps turning the page until he finds it. I too liked the owl from Bambi. Sorry i cannot think of others though.
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
15 Dec 06
There is a live owl in My Boss' Daughter (it's a funny movie with Ashton Kutcher in it). That's cool that your child likes the owl.
@kfg20012003 (1037)
• India
14 Dec 06
According to my mother,she was saying that owls were once humans and due a curse from a sage,the sage converted the human into what is called the owl now...u can see a resemblance with humans in the owls face...friend this is just a saying ..
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
15 Dec 06
That's really intersting, thanks for sharing that! Owls do look like they are smart and understand what is going on, like they have some human capabilities.
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
15 Dec 06
My mascot is a Cavalier - whatever that is!~ :) I take online classes, so I don't actually go up there much.
@working4theweekend (2403)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I think that's what makes the owl so smart and wise, he just waits and listens!
@cowboyzfan (718)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Yea owls are really cool and funny. Check out that pic:p
