Owls are birds that are active at night. They have large heads and big eyes that face forward. Their soft feathers help them fly without making noise. An owl’s body is small and light, about the size of a pigeon, but it looks bigger because of its thick feathers.
Owls live in quiet, dark places. In the Middle East, they often live in old temple ruins, pyramids, rock graves, and caves. These places include areas in Egypt and on both sides of the Jordan River in Israel. Owls usually stay away from places where people live.
Owls have very good eyesight at night. This helps them find and catch small animals like mice. Their large eyes do not work well during the day because bright light bothers them.
Owls can swallow animals whole because their throats (called esophagus) stretch. Later, they cough up pellets made of hair and bones that they cannot digest. Owls have short, curved beaks that are sharp and strong.
Owls may lay up to ten eggs in one nest. Both parents take care of the young. Owl families often stay near the same place where they were born.
Owls in the Bible
The Bible mentions owls several times. Owls were seen as unclean birds under Jewish law (Leviticus 11:17; Deuteronomy 14:16). Because owls eat other animals, they were not allowed for food.
There are eight types of owls in the land of the Bible. Five of them are common. However, it is hard to know which types match the four Hebrew words for “owl” in the Bible. One of the words translated “owl” in the King James Version probably means “ostrich” instead.
Some of the owl species found in the land of the Bible include: