The Evolution of Owls

The flat face and giant Eyre eyes of owls are so striking they have eaned place in the folk law of many different cultures. They owe these unique features to all the adaptations they have gained from adapting to become one of the only large nocturnal birds of prey. however, in the not too distant past they were a lot less specialised with many of their ancestors eating very different prey and even hunting during the day. And some other owls where specialised to a completely different way of life some even evolving to loose their wings and become flightless birds.

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[hannahpickles]

The thought of a child-sized flightless owl is both terrifying and adorable

[FeedMeSalt]

Fun fact, owls are very friendly with effort.
Had a returning female who would nest yearly in my barn as a kid.
Got tame enough I could offer her mice by hand. And she would follow me around as I disturbed the fields in broad daylight.
Easy snakes easy mice.

[toddbennett]

I believe that one of the things that people overlook about owls that contributes to their somewhat bizarre and "wise" appearance, is the fact that all other bird's eyes close by the lower lid up, and an owl's eyes close by the upper lid down, thus resulting in a "human-like" effect. And then there's that robotic closing of the eyes as the bird's head turns.

[HogBurger]

If possible, could you please do one on parrots? It’s be cool to know why they separated from falcons, which are more closely related to parrots than eagles and hawks.

[duneydan]

And in a few hundreds years, they will create a new civilisation on an island named Ga'Hoole

[imaredwhalethenotsoelectr]

Owls are definitely that type of animal that look almost entirely fake or made up, but aren't. I think it might have to do with the whole "eyes are so specialized they can't rotate them" thing.

[melvinshine]

Falcon are most closely related to *parrots* and owls to woodpeckers?! I have learned something, today.
Speaking of extinct owls, stilts owls were a group of long legged Hawaiian owls that were the inspiration for the Pokemon, Decidueye.

[MatawanBullShark]

As a Bahamian, let me add a bit of supplemental info. On the island of Andros, there are tales of a cryptid known as a Chickcharnie; it was sid to be a Dwarf-like creature with big glowing red eyes.
These were certainly due to one last population of Tyto Pollens that existed in the Old Growth Pine Forests of the island. However, as is often the case, when people showed up they cut down the forests and when the owls lost their home it was truly the final nail in the coffin for such a magnificent species.

[markykid]

Actually only the older owls have those tube eyes - the newer ones have already moved to flatscreen.

[vauhner]

This just finally explained why owls can be unsettling when stared at. They can’t swivel their eyes. I never made that connection and it’s fascinating! Thanks!!

[efperel]

Finally a video to watch with my dinner
“Owls don’t have eyeballs”
… maybe not

[genericpersonx]

Ahh yes, evolved to fly quieter with precision in the dark. Tell that to the damnable fool of an owl that flew into the side of my house the other night, making a heck of a racket! Neither precise or quiet, that one.

[JohnDrummondPhoto]

Correction: the order Cathartiformes contains the New World vultures and condors. The Old World vultures belong to the order Accipitriformes, the same as hawks, eagles, and kites. As such they shouldn't be lumped together as they are the results of convergent evolution but are barely related to each other.

[dogeclark]

So cool, Owls are just such an interesting study on evolutionary niches.

[anthonypalomo]

Thanks for mention Ornymegalonix (oteroi Arrendondo).

In my youth in Cuba, I was fascinated by this bird. I even asked my uncle to go see it on my last night before I left my country on July 18, 1966. It was exhibited in the Museum of Science, at that time housed in the former Cuban Congress Building (a replica of the US one).

My cousin worked for a while in museums in Cuba (after being expelled from his position in the Cuban Armed Forces as a Lieutenant Colonel due to her "petit bourgeois mentality." Even landing a job in a museum took considerable courage from the museum director as she was a "disgraced person") and told me that remains of the bird mysteriously disappeared and were never found again.

But again, thanks for mentioning it.

[rl]

Ancient humans arriving in Cuba: Time to explore this new land, and make it our…what in God’s name is that?

The tall flightless owl in Cuba: Hello Blitzy~

[imminent]

Therapist: 1m Owl isnt real and cant hurt you.

1m Owl:

[MammothChats]

Owls are so awesome, I feel like it’s one of the first woodland animals we learn about as kids

[gabrielhill]

I’d like to add a comment on the nocturnal nature of owls. I’ve lived most of my life in the boreal regions of Alaska, and have traveled the state widely. Owls thrive here everywhere, and at all times of year, including the Summers when the sun barely sets at all. Owls of all kinds are hunting quite successfully in broad daylight for much of the year. Great horned, snowy, grey and boreal owls, in addition to the hawk owls you mentioned being diurnal.
Just thought I’d mention this as food for thought. I think it adds to the admirable nature of owls that they are so highly adaptable to extremes.

[--Paws--]

That owl fossil found in Cuba would have been the equivalent of the Kakapo parrot from New Zealand. They're big parrots that can still fly yet prefer to walk around. They are also called owl-parrots due to their flat face.