We’ve all heard the lore about the “wise old owl” bestowing his knowledge upon others, but is there any truth to it? Are owls actually smart?
Sadly, most owls are not particularly intelligent. Birds are not very smart in general, and most owls actually fall into the lower range of bird intelligence.
It is thought by some that the reason for the belief that owls are smart comes from the placement of their eyes. Their binocular vision, with eyes in the front of their heads, is similar to primates and other highly intelligent animals.
There are, however, some uncommonly smart birds, such as crows and ravens. The latter of which has even been known to solve simple puzzles and use basic tools to get at food.
[…] Casa Vicens (no photo available). Though owls are typically a symbol of wisdom and intelligence, this bit of popular wisdom seems to be just that, with no basis in science. This myth has been reinforced throughout history, most recently by the […]