GREAT HORNED OWL

Tillamook Forest Center - Tillamook, Oregon

DID YOU KNOW?

Is That Eyeshadow?

Owls have three eyelids. They have upper and lower lids that are used to blink and close fully when sleeping - we are familiar with this right? But they have a third that moves horizontally from the inner part of the eye. This Nictitating Membrane serves as a protectant in flight and is able to be closed without effecting the owls night vision!

See Ya Later!

Owls eat their prey whole - bones and all! They later regurgitate pellets of the things that were indigestible. When dissecting this your will see bones, fur, etc.

I Spy...

They have incredible vision on top of also having night vision! Their eyes are the same size as humans but can see 35x better and only need 5% of the light we do in order to see and see well.

These Winged Tigers can rotate their necks up to 270 degrees - so not only do they have binocular vision, but they also practically have eyes on all sides of their head...watch out!

Awake All Night

These birds are nocturnal, meaning they never sleep - psych! We all need sleep, but these birds get their rest during the day.

They are also the World's most adaptable birds when it comes to living in all sorts of different places. Forests, swamps, deserts, tundra, urban areas, etc.

SPIRITUAL MEANING

Guardians of sacred knowledge
A seeing beyond the illusion - ability to perceive hidden Truth
Guidance in the darkness

UNIQUE

Owls are silent fliers! Their wings are made in a particular way causing no noise to occur when they fly through the skies - wow! Comb like serrations break up the air with microscopic tubes causing even more break down of the air. The wings of an owl also have a velvety texture to them which is unique to them. The silent flight of these creatures helps with their survival in two ways:

Stealthy Hunting and
Prey Detection

PONDER

There is power in the Silence. When you take the time to not just hear, but listen to your Being and those around you, a whole world can become available and known. Silence brings the power of observation and with that comes true learning. Learning more of your Self, those you come in contact with, more about the Universe in which you exist in, the work you do, etc. can create connections currently unseen. Listening can happen in compete silence. Just as the Owl, you can soar through the quieted night, silently just Being for knowing where True understanding comes from doesn't have to be said. The Soul speaks in every tongue.

"Ancient dissections spoke of the auditory nerve being divided into three or more pathways deep in the brain...the third pathway existed so the soul itself might hear guidance and gain knowledge while here on Earth" (pg. 22)

Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

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