Barn Owls: Creepy but Cute
Barn owls are very creepy.
Published 12 years ago
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The pale, long-winged barn owl is the most widespread specie of owl or bird breed for that matter. Maybe it's his remarkable flat-faced appearance and uncanny black eyes that has people in various countries tagging him with names that suggest a feeling of ghoulishness: Hobgoblin, Death Owl, Ghost Owl and Death Owl, just to name a few!
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Does he appear like a stuffed toy? Is it the button-like eyes? Like humans they close their upper eyelids to blink, but unlike humans their eyes cannot move. Their heart-shaped face is flat like a dish so it can direct sounds to the ears, much like a satellite dish picking-up signals. We can't see the ears but they're asymmetrically placed on each side of the face to survey the location of prey or objects when flying.
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In folklore and myths, the symbolism of an owl is one of "wisdom, helpfulness, and prophecy." Hedwig in 'Harry Potter', is a great example! It's not a stretch then to imagine that the Barn Owl's ghostly appearance, blood-curdling shriek and stealth silence during flight adds further to its mystical and otherworldly traits.
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All owls can easily do the, "rotating head" trick like the scary teenage girl in the 'The Exorcist'. They don't need eyes on the back of their heads to see what's behind them! Supposedly this supernatural ability has to do with unique "vertebral arteries" in their neck, allowing blood to flow to the brain without being "pinched" or broken.
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Coupledom suits Barn Owls just fine, they're monogamous by nature, and are life mates. It may not sound romantic, but the male will usually give the female gifts of field mice during courtship to show his worth. Do you remember which sex is which? The male is the smaller one and is "whiter" with less speckles than the female.
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