Owls have long symbolized wisdom and knowledge — even in the intellectual game "What? Where? When?" the winner is awarded the "Crystal Owl." But where did the notion of high intelligence of these birds come from, and what is it really like?
From an early age, a stereotype forms in our minds that owls are wise birds. However, scientists disagree: in fact, they are not smarter than some other species of birds!
Reasons Why Owls Are Considered Wise
The widespread myth of owl wisdom likely originated in ancient times. The ancient Greeks, who called themselves Hellenes, noticed that the behavior of owls resembled the lifestyle of philosophers who seek solitude. Additionally, due to their ability to see in the dark, these birds began to be regarded as insightful creatures. This is why the owl became a symbol of the goddess of wisdom and knowledge Athena, and it was often depicted on ancient Greek coins.
However, not all cultures consider owls to be wise. In India, for example, they are associated more with unjust wealth and foolishness than with wisdom. In China, owls and eagle-owls symbolize fear and horror, likely due to their nocturnal lifestyle.
The True Intelligence of Owls
In reality, the intelligence of owls is not as high as commonly believed. In one study from 2013, great gray owls repeatedly failed a simple cognitive test in which they had to pull a string to receive a treat. Meanwhile, other bird species completed this task with ease.
According to scientists, the smartest bird is the crow: various experiments have shown that it is smarter than a four-year-old child.
The large eyes of owls do not indicate their insightfulness: their size and the presence of a small number of color receptors and many rods provide night vision, but they can hardly see anything up close — to orient themselves in space, owls use small bristle-like feathers on their beaks and claws.
Interestingly, owl eyes are tubular rather than spherical, so they cannot rotate them. Instead, they have to turn their necks and twist their heads a maximum of 135 degrees.
