PARLIAMENT OF THE NIGHT

 

Parliament of the Night, acrylic on canvas, 2022. 23.5" X 33"

A group of owls is called a "parliament". There are more than 150 confirmed species of owls in the world and they are found on all continents except Antarctica. Most hunting birds fly by day, but most owls usually hunt at night. They rely on their superb night vision and acute sense of hearing to locate their prey in the dark. Owls vary in size but all are similar in appearance with a large, rounded head, no obvious neck and a saucer-shaped ruff of feathers called a facial disc around the large eyes which face directly forward unlike most birds.

The owl is made a symbol of wisdom and knowledge since ancient times largely due to their success as hunters and their nocturnal schedules. 

The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus, left) is the most widespread true owl in the Americas. It actually does not have horns, as its ear-like tufts are simply extra-long feathers. It is one of North America's largest owls, standing almost 60 centimeters tall. Many Native American tribes worship this owl for its courage, strength and beauty.

The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus, middle) is native to the Arctic regions and breeds mostly in the tundra. Males tend to be a purer white overall while females (pictured) tend to more have more extensive flecks of dark brown. Most owls sleep during the day and hunt at night, but the snowy owl is often active during the day, especially in the summertime. The Harry Potter franchise features a female snowy owl named Hedwig.

The great grey owl (Strix nebulosa, right) is the world's largest species of owl by length (60-80 cm). It is widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It has the largest facial disc of all owls, which functions as a radar that collects sound waves and directs them towards the owl's ears. Great grey owls do not build nests, so they typically use nests previously used by large birds.

The barn owl (Tyto alba, left) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere in the world except in areas with extreme climates. It has a prominent heart-shaped facial disc that aids it during hunting. The barn owl is nocturnal over most of its range; but in Great Britain and some Pacific Islands, it also hunts by day. The owl is pictured hunting a bat, which is a rare occurrence since it only feeds on small rodents.

The elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi, right) from the southwestern USA and Mexico is one of the world's smallest owls. It is the size of a sparrow and feeds primarily on insects. Besides living in holes on trees, it frequently inhabits holes made by woodpeckers on large cacti.

The Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo, left) is a species of eagle-owl that resides in most of the Eurasian continent. They can be found in various habitats, mostly in mountainous regions or other rocky areas, near woodland edges and shrubby areas with openings or wetlands as well as coniferous forests, steppes, and other areas at varied elevations. Besides being one of the largest living species of owl, the Eurasian eagle owl is also one of the most widely distributed. Like the barn owl, eagle-owls have occasionally been used in pest control.

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu, right) is native in the tropical forests and wetlands in Southeast Asia. It is the smallest of the fish owls (at 40-48 cm), a family of owls specialized in hunting fish. Like all fish owls, the buffy fish owl has prominent ear tufts on the sides of the head. Owlets of this species have not grown the ear tufts until it reaches maturity. It is a protected species in Malaysia.