Spooky Story
There are a number of features that make the Barn Owl a
spooky organism. Some include being very silent, only about at
night time hours, and being stealthy hunters. Barn owls have
also been associated with evil, magic, and even death for a
number of years. The Aztecs used the owl to portray their god of
death, Native Americans associated black magic with Barn Owls,
and Romans thought that even catching sight of a Barn Owl was
unlucky (Tangley, 2010).
Another way in which Barn Owls are depicted as spooky are their hoots, as well as how they roost in attics and abandon buildings that look to be haunted. Nicknames for the Barn Owl include ghost owl, death owl, and bird of doom. The white face and dark eyes of the Barn Owl can also be compared to a ghost or even a human skull (Tangley, 2010).
Here is a short clip by Tim Acheson of what a Barn Owl's hoot sounds like.
Right photo by
Mike
Atkinson
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