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Extant Paleocene first appearancesOwls

Owl

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A majestic Eurasian eagle-owl perched and looking directly at the viewer.

Owls are wonderful birds that many people love. They are special because they are mostly active at night and have big eyes that help them see very well in the dark.

Owls can be found all around the world, except in very cold places and some faraway islands. There are over 200 different kinds of owls! Some owls live in forests, while others might live near farms or deserts.

People know about owls because they are often seen as wise and clever. In many stories and cultures, owls are symbols of wisdom and good luck. For example, in Ancient Greece, the owl was linked to the goddess Athena, who was known for her wisdom.

Owls have some very cool features. Their feathers let them fly very quietly, which helps them sneak up on their food. They also have special hearing that helps them find small animals like insects and mammals even when they can't see them. When you see a group of owls together, it's called a “parliament,” which sounds very fancy!

Images

Two beautiful owls: a tawny owl on the left and a barn owl on the right.
A burrowing owl perched on a branch, showcasing its distinctive features.
A 1979 stamp from the Soviet Union featuring an owl, highlighting birds as protectors of the forest.
A great horned owl perched during a rainy day in the Mojave desert.
A Great Horned Owl perched on a Joshua tree in the Mojave Desert at twilight.
A close-up comparison of owl and hawk feathers, showing how owl feathers are specially designed to make quiet wingbeats.
A close-up of an owl's feather showing its detailed structure.
A Spotted Eagle-owl from Johannesburg, South Africa, showing its nictitating eyelid.
A Great Horned Owl peacefully resting in a tree during the daytime.
Illustration of a short-eared owl from a 19th-century natural history book by Georges Cuvier.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Owl, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.