Comments on: "Everyone loves owls. Even mammalogists love owls."

"Everyone loves owls. Even mammalogists love owls."

medusa — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:26:28 -0800

Why are owls so wise? Perhaps it's because they're utter badasses.

Ferocity is essential for a bird whose frigid, spotty range extends across northeastern China, the Russian Far East and up toward the Arctic Circle, one that breeds and nests in the dead of winter, perched atop a giant cottonwood or elm tree, out in the open, in temperatures 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Dr. Slaght's colleague Sergei Surmach videotaped a female sitting on her nest during a blizzard. "All you could see at the end was her tail jutting out," Dr. Slaght said.

The New York Times Science section gives an update on some current owl research.

Trigger warning: overwrought prose. But research highlights include using owls as inspiration for designing quieter flying vehicles, an estimate that a parliament of owls can eat 25,000 rats in a year, and some information on owls' amazing hearing.

By: Fizz

Fizz — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:30:06 -0800

As my ex-gf used to say: "FUCK OWLS!" I'm not going to say this is the main reason we broke up, but it didn't help.

By: theodolite

theodolite — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:35:20 -0800

Please, everyone, do not fuck owls.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:35:46 -0800

Many cultures, including some Native American tribes, see owls as creepy bad omens. I don't quite understand why, and haven't really seen that unpacked satisfactorily.

By: interplanetjanet

interplanetjanet — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:42:10 -0800

I do not love owls. My mother loves to tell everyone that when I was a child I was terrified of owls and would wake up crying that owls were going to get me. I'm not really afraid of them anymore but they still seem kind of creepy to me. It's the eyes and the way their heads turn, brrrrrr, gives me the chills.

By: Going To Maine

Going To Maine — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:42:50 -0800

YOLO: You obviously like owls.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:42:57 -0800

Possibly some owls in desperation will feed on the dead, like vultures? Maybe that's the bad omen thing, I dunno..just speculatin.

By: medusa

medusa — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:45:44 -0800

Burhanistan: maybe it's because they're such efficient predators, coupled with the silent gliding flight thing. Silent death from above.

By: goethean

goethean — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:47:03 -0800

The wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can't you be like that wise old bird?

By: codacorolla

codacorolla — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:47:26 -0800

They also seem to make great pets. Well, probably not, but if I was crazy rich and had someone else to take care of the bad parts then I'd definitely have one.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:47:56 -0800

MeFi's Own!

By: orme

orme — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:47:57 -0800

Some owls can really get up in your grill though.

By: Windopaene

Windopaene — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:49:04 -0800

When I was a kid, I had this phonograph record about owls. Might have had a book to go along with it, but I know it did have a large poster, and you could follow along on the poster with what was being said about the owls in question, and see a drawing of them, or their habitat, or hunting, in flight, etc. All very cool. Until we got near the last drawing/section. Which had spooky-ish music and started talking about Barn Owls, with an accompanying drawing of one. I used to have to stop the record because Barn Owls are freaky and scary... All the other owls are super cool and I like them a lot, but those Barn Owls...Brrrrrrr...

By: codacorolla

codacorolla — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:49:26 -0800

The wise old owl sat on an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can't you be like that wise old bird? Owl Bar!

By: The Owls

The Owls — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:51:14 -0800

Please, everyone, do not fuck owls. this bears repeating.

By: yoga

yoga — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:53:06 -0800

Species like the barn, barred, screech and horned have some of the keenest auditory systems known, able to hear potential prey stirring deep under leaves, snow or grass, identify the rodent species and even assess its relative plumpness or state of pregnancy, based on sound alone. Wow.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:55:43 -0800

The First Snow Owl, the Angels did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay In fields where they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter's night that was so deep. Snow Owl, Snow Owl, Snow Owl, Snow Owl...

By: steambadger

steambadger — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:01:18 -0800

The owls are not what they seem.

By: Rangeboy

Rangeboy — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:06:41 -0800

Everyone loves owls. Counterpoint.

By: CosmicRayCharles

CosmicRayCharles — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:10:31 -0800

Do you like our owl?

By: Strange Interlude

Strange Interlude — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:11:26 -0800

Please, everyone, do not fuck owls. this bears repeating. Repeat: Do not fuck bears. Or owlbears.

By: kinnakeet

kinnakeet — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:43:46 -0800

A few decades ago I was up very early, packing for a winter camping trip on skis. It was about 5F outside and I thought I'd check the current conditions on our back porch by flipping on the big outdoor floodlights. On the railing, perhaps five feet away, was a great horned owl. It turned huge golden eyes on me, stretched out its wings and simply lifted itself into the darkness leaving only a bit of bare railing behind. I saw the bird for probably just seconds, but was left breathless, covered in gooseflesh. What a rush, and what a spectacular bird. Now that I live with a parrot, I have new appreciation for the specialized equipment birds have for acquiring food. Owls are exquisitely adapted for hunting at night; it's those adaptations that make their appearance so extraordinary and awe-inspiring.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:46:50 -0800

There's a pair of great horned owls that range around my neighborhood and often perch at night atop the utility poles behind our fence. In addition to the magnificent hooting, they also make a higher-pitched barking noise, which I suppose is to call one another. It's always such a thrill to see them take off in their near-soundless flight.

By: "Elbows" O'Donoghue

"Elbows" O'Donoghue — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:09:02 -0800

Everyone is fond of owls.

By: adamdschneider

adamdschneider — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:09:19 -0800

Or owlbears. Wow, awesome. I like that a lot better than the current version, which is just a bear body with an owl head stuck on top. This looks more like some freaky creature from who knows where, rather than just a bad game of Animal Mad Libs.

By: tommyD

tommyD — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:11:01 -0800

I don't like owls. I like crows. Owls murder crows. Therefore, I don't like owls.

By: scruss

scruss — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:52:03 -0800

Owls, for all their magnificent sensory equipment, are dumb as posts. Those huge eyes and hyper-acute (asymmetrical!) ears don't leave much room in their tiny skull for a brain. They're all senses, but no sense. For example, there's a large male eagle owl at Kortright that, every year, carefully builds a huge nest in its cage. Every year, he hoots soulfully to one of the keepers to come and make some sweet owl lovin' with him. It's the saddest thing in the world to see him make "come to nest" owl eyes at her.

By: Pogo_Fuzzybutt

Pogo_Fuzzybutt — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:58:37 -0800

As my ex-gf used to say: "FUCK OWLS!" No bird fucking allowed! It's the law!

By: Decani

Decani — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:11:00 -0800

Any animal that vomits skeleton pellets is fine by me.

By: mcstayinskool

mcstayinskool — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:27:27 -0800

I will vouch for this thread title. I am a published mammalogist, and I love owls.

By: workerant

workerant — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:35:08 -0800

I have no particular interest in owls, but they seem to have taken an interest in me lately.

By: bonehead

bonehead — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:54:51 -0800

I like owls, but then I also think that spiders are pretty neat too, so I may not be the best judge.

By: ErikaB

ErikaB — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:58:20 -0800

Plus they're fluffyyyyyyyyyy!

By: Inspector.Gadget

Inspector.Gadget — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:10:50 -0800

I am lucky enough to occasionally be visited by a barred owl who sits in an old oak, calling intermittently (presumably between his efforts at eradicating the local mouse and vole population). Owls are pretty great.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:19:06 -0800

Not everyone likes owls. For instance, there are apparently 840 Iyako collectable Japanese erasers, depicting all kinds of animals. There is not an owl one. Me, I think owls are awesome. I don't know if I'd like to have a beer with one, but they are awesome.

By: anateus

anateus — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:19:59 -0800

I'm surprised no has made the observation that owls are basically flying cats. It is well known that mefi goes gaga for those, so owls are great just by transitivity. Sure they have their own awesome stuff, but they fill a similar niche both in nature and in our hearts.

By: IAmBroom

IAmBroom — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:02:03 -0800

ErikaB: Plus they're fluffyyyyyyyyyy!

They sure are ! (or did you mean owls?)

By: CheeseDigestsAll

CheeseDigestsAll — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:06:36 -0800

Please, everyone, do not fuck owls. I believe you were thinking of the swans.

By: IAmBroom

IAmBroom — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:16:22 -0800

workerant: I have no particular interest in owls, but they seem to have taken an interest in me lately.

If a letter appears under your door, or near an open window...

By: goethean

goethean — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:19:52 -0800

Son of an owl!

By: Dr Dracator

Dr Dracator — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:57:12 -0800

A few years ago I had to spend a couple of hours every night outdoors, in a rural area doing basically nothing at all. There was a tree with an owl nearby. I really liked the company of the owl, it was a hoot.

By: disillusioned

disillusioned — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:08:35 -0800

The first comment from that piece is... engaging:

I lived in an attic room during college in the 80's in Boulder, Colorado. I would read in front of the window that looked out onto a large tree in the backyard. My landlady had a bird feeder and late one spring, a parakeet appeared. It was accustomed to people and would calmly remain munching away at the feeder when someone appeared while all the wild birds fled. We loved its colorful presence but also worried it wouldn't last long in the wild. It wasn't tame enough to catch. One afternoon, as I was sitting by the window, I saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of my eye. Looking up, I saw the parakeet flying straight at me with a larger bird right behind it. The parakeet hit the window and it's pursuer caught it on the rebound - it's wing tip brushing the glass as it turned with the parakeet in its beak. A smear of blood remained on the glass. This bird turned out to be a Northern Pygmy Owl. It landed a few feet away in the crotch of the tree outside my window and proceeded to eat the parakeet. My next door neighbor was a birder who had been following the frantic pursuit. She sent out a call to her birding friends who soon crowded into our backyard with binoculars and long camera lenses. They told me this owl was a rare sighting. No doubt the parakeet proved too bright and tempting to resist. All that was left when the owl departed was a scattering of bright green feathers at the base of the tree.

By: Charlemagne In Sweatpants

Charlemagne In Sweatpants — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:42:52 -0800

Owls are those things that are found on every bit of homemade hipster jewelry, right?

By: owls

owls — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:17:58 -0800

Please, everyone, do not fuck owls. this bears repeating. Mean... Was it something I said? Seriously though, have you rotated your owl lately? It's important for proper maintenance.

By: Charlemagne In Sweatpants

Charlemagne In Sweatpants — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:23:13 -0800

I kept rotating the owls in Fez but it never seemed to do anything.

By: jjj606

jjj606 — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:34:44 -0800

Youtube Slow motion owl landing. Watch it in HD. The eyes! The feathers are cool, too. Previously on Metafilter.

By: zombieflanders

zombieflanders — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:52:40 -0800

LOOK AT HOW FUCKING FLUFFY THIS OWL IS.