Owls, symbols of wisdom, are actually really, really stupid, even by bird standards. But so fuzzy. I like the fluffy stupid killing machines.
I am afraid that I must admit, owls are quite derp in comparison to other birds.
Are owls the smartest birds? According to trainers that work with them, not by a long shot. Parrots are easy to train and can have extensive vocabularies. Hawks can be taught to retrieve objects. Even pigeons are used in behavioral studies and can be conditioned to obtain a reward by carrying out certain actions.
But most species of owls can’t be trained to do even the most rudimentary tasks. So why do we have the expression ‘wise as an owl’? The most common answer - they look smart. And what makes them look so smart? It’s their eyes. An owl’s eyes are enormous compared the size of its head. In humans, large pupils are equated with focusing and attention being paid. An owl’s large, dark eyes make it look like it is paying attention. Its eyes are also fixed in its head. In order for an owl to move its eyes, it must move the whole head. It gives an owl a intelligent gaze as it scans the surroundings.
This is my first giveaway, so bare with me. This is what’s up for grabs:
I know they’re not worth much, but I bought them from people that were selling because I wanted to help them out, and now I want to do the same for someone else. There will be two winners. First place chooses what they want. Second gets what’s left. I would like it if you’d use the item, but when you get it, you can do what you want. All you have to do is reblog this post. Likes do not count, and only reblog once. This will end at 8:00 pm NST on May 11, 2015. I’ll message the winners when it’s over. :)
