Other names for a group of owls also have interesting origins. For instance, the name “congress” comes from the Latin word “congressus,” which means “assembly.” The name “stare” comes from the Old English word “stær,” which means “starling.”

The supposed fossil herons "Ardea" perplexa (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France) and "Ardea" lignitum (Late Pliocene of Germany) were more probably owls; the latter was apparently close to the modern genus Bubo. Judging from this, the Late Miocene remains from France described as "Ardea" aureliensis should also be restudied. [42] The Messelasturidae, some of which were initially believed to be basal Strigiformes, are now generally accepted to be diurnal birds of prey showing some convergent evolution toward owls. The taxa often united under Strigogyps [43] were formerly placed in part with the owls, specifically the Sophiornithidae; they appear to be Ameghinornithidae instead. [44] [45] [46] The ancient fossil owl Palaeoglaux artophoron Although the term has its roots in the Middle Ages, it is also possible that it was popularized further by C. S. Lewis’s book series, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Get in touch

ADIPO SIDANG’ rose to literary fame last year after the publication of his collection of poetry, Parliament of Owls. A play built on the theme of the title poem in the book was recently staged at the Kenya National Theatre. Whether "parliament of owls" arose organically in each case or was suggested to one or more of its early users by "parliament of fowls" or "parliament of fools" (or both) is unclear to me. In any event, the latter two phrases are quite old. From the printer Robert Coplande's preface to a 1530 edition of Chaucer's "The Assemble of Foules":

Shamim1410 (22 April 2020). "Owl Bird Traits, Adaptations and Surprising Facts". Bird Baron . Retrieved 4 February 2022. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link) Einoder, Luke D. & Alastair M. M. Richardson (2007). "Aspects of the Hindlimb Morphology of Some Australian Birds of Prey: A Comparative and Quantitative Study". The Auk. 124 (3): 773–788. doi: 10.1642/0004-8038(2007)124[773:AOTHMO]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 86011581. Genus Athene – two to four species (depending on whether the genera Speotyto and Heteroglaux are included or not) Left Strigidae: Tawny owl ( Strix aluco), Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo), Little owl ( Athene noctua), Northern saw-whet owl ( Aegolius acadicus); Right Tytonidae: Barn owl ( Tyto alba), Lesser sooty owl ( Tyto multipunctata), Tasmanian masked owl ( Tyto novaehollandiae castanops), Sri Lanka bay owl ( Phodilus assimilis). This secretive behavior is reminiscent of political meetings held behind closed doors, further solidifying the comparison to a parliament.During this time, the young owls are learning to hunt and survive on their own. By early fall, the parents begin to wean their offspring from feedings, and the young owls will eventually fly off on their own. Additionally, owls are often seen as mysterious and regal creatures, further emphasizing their political connotations. Genus Bubo – the horned owls, eagle-owls and fish-owls; paraphyletic with the genera Nyctea, Ketupa, and Scotopelia, some 25 species Joe Lowe (21 January 2020). "Owls of the United States: A List of all Species". American Bird Conservancy . Retrieved 12 February 2023. I was watching the French-language Belgian news, specifically a story about Le Parlement Bruxellois. The similarity between the word parlement, and the French verb parler ( to speak) was obvious. A parliament is a place where politicians go to talk together about important issues (insert clichéd joke about them talking all day and getting nothing done).