owl


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

owl

(oul)
n.
1. Any of various often nocturnal birds of prey of the order Strigiformes, having hooked and feathered talons, a large head with a short hooked beak, large eyes set forward, and fluffy plumage that allows for almost noiseless flight.
2. Any of several breeds of domestic pigeons having a very short beak somewhat like that of an owl and often a frill of feathers on the chest.

owl

a bird of the order Strigiformes with very distinctive characteristics including nocturnal predation, soft feathers and silent flight, frontset eyes and ears that can be closed. There are a number of families including barn owls, nightjars, frogmouths, potoos, monkey owls and the tropical owls.
Enlarge picture
Tawny owl. By permission from Cooper JE, Sainsbury AW, Exotic Species, Mosby, 1994
owl midge
see sandfly.
Mentioned in ?
References in periodicals archive ?
The Owls Trust rescues injured wild birds of prey and are involved in the conservation of some of the rarest owl species worldwide.
DAHL ILLUSTRATOR SIR QUENTIN BECOMES OWLS TRUST PATRON
5 For most owl species, females are larger, heavier and more aggressive than males.
Flights of fancy; We're utterly captivated by the fluffy precision killers in C5's The Secret Life Of Owls. From barn owls to little owls, we're hooked on their every feather
Ear tufts are easily seen on this lanky owl that's about the size of a crow.
An Owl Field Guide
This little owl has condition called Brian So we must hope that this little owl overcomes all its problems, finds a warm roost and is still with us in the spring.
GO WILDwith eric paylor
At its core, the Supplement OWL serves as a valuable tool to help better understand the supplement marketplace.
Supplement OWL is quickly gaining momentum
In the 1990s, when surveying the bird markets I would typically see one or two owls for sale amongst thousands of wild-caught birds on offer but equally often not a single owl was on display," Vincent Nijman, study co-author and a wildlife-trade researcher at Oxford Brookes University, said in a statement.
The Harry Potter effect
The owl tilts its head until a sound is equal in both ears.
The great horned owl
Nichole Miller and Christina White said they lost count after tracking 50 owls during a 20-mile stretch of Idaho's Interstate-84.
Why Are So Many Dead Owls Popping Up In Idaho?
Murtaugh explained that the great horned owl is our earliest breeding bird, on the nest as early as January.
Owls
Concerned citizens turned over two mature Philippine Scops owls, which were found in two towns on Tuesday (Jan.
Scops owls rescued in Pangasinan
Despite 1971 legislation that protects all owl species, owl populations are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and destruction, which affects not only their food sources but also their nesting and roosting sites.
Australia : Australia Post takes flight with owls on stamps
True owls range in size from the tiny elf owl, with a wingspan of about 10.
Fun Facts: Silent flight and haunting calls of owl

Medical browser ?
Full browser ?