There are approximately 254 species of owls in the world. The smallest is the little elf owl. Less than 6 inches tall, it lives in deserts and woodlands of the southern U.S. and in Mexico. The great horned owl, standing up to 25 inches tall, and the great gray owl, reaching 24 to 33 inches, are among the tallest.
The most common owl is the barn owl. It is typically a brown bird 13 to 20 inches tall, marked with a white, heart-shaped face. Since it does not build a nest, its eggs are laid in places like tree hollows, barns, caves, and nest boxes.
Burrowing owls live and nest underground, in burrows they take over from prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and tortoises. Social creatures, they often live in colonies and sometimes share the burrow they move into with the animals who made the burrow.
Most owls do much of their hunting at night, but burrowing owls hunt both day and night. The Creator has given owls large eyes so they can see in the dark. Since they can’t move their eyes in their head, they see only a narrow area at a time, but they can quickly turn their heads almost completely around, actually making them able to see more than most birds. Their eyes are up to 100 times more sensitive to light than ours. If exposed to bright light, there is a protective membrane that will cover their eye, reducing the glare.
Owls have strong, grasping talons to catch and hold their prey and sharp, hooked beaks. Most owls hunt mice, rats, small birds, rabbits, squirrels, gophers and even snakes, skunks and scorpions. This makes them one of God’s ways of keeping the populations of these creatures under control.
Several things make an owl’s flight almost silent. For one, the leading edges of an owl’s primary flight feathers are serrated, like a comb, breaking down the airflow to reduce noise. Very soft feathers are another aid to silent flight.
Owls’ hearing is sharp because of feathers on their faces that curve, like a satellite dish, to send sounds to their ears. One ear is higher than the other on their head, which helps them know exactly where the sound they are hearing is coming from.
The owl mentioned in our opening verse lived a solitary life in abandoned places and made a noise people didn’t like to hear. This gives us a picture of the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ as He went through this world, lonely and sorrowful, preaching things people didn’t want to hear. Even though He has returned to heaven and offers free salvation to whoever wants it, many people still reject Him. Have you accepted the wonderful salvation He died to win for you?
Did You Know?
The smallest owl, the little elf owl, is less than six inches tall.
Messages of God’s Love 12/7/2025