Sunday is the Super Bowl, which means millions of people will be searching the internet this weekend for football-themed recipes, party games and updates on the Atlanta Hawks-New England Patriots game. But many of them will end up with birds.
The Super Bowl is regularly misspelled as Superb Owl online, according to the Boston Globe, and the weird part of the World Wide Web loves it. There are cleverly titled articles on how to watch superb owls on Sunday and how you can make the same jokes for both the bird and the sport (“it’s a hoot”). You can even throw a Superb Owl party.
You know what they say — if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. So whether you’re a sports fan or an aviphile, here are some photos of and facts about some superb owls to enjoy, with sources linked:
Owls can move their necks 270 degrees because of their vascular systems.
The biggest owls are more than two feet tall. The smallest are only six inches.
Rescued young tawny owls perch on a branch as they wait to be released back into the wild at the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre on Aug. 28, 2012 in Taunton, England. Photo: Getty Images
The ancient Greeks thought owls were symbols of good luck in battle and wisdom.
The San Diego Zoo has two owl brothers named Hinckley and Thatcher. Hinckley really likes rocks.
Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and girlfriend Ester Satorova pose with a barking owl at the player cafe during day 10 of the 2014 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 22, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Getty Images
There are more than 200 owl species.
Seven owls played Hedwig in the “Harry Potter” films, including birds named Gizmo, Oops and Elmo.
A burrowing owl at the side of the track during practice for the Formula One Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on Nov. 13, 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images
Owl from the “Winnie the Pooh” is regarded as the smartest character in the series, but he’s terrible at spelling.
Burrowing owls can fly starting at about six weeks old.
Four owlets are seen at Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Forestry Wildlife Rescue Center on June 22, 2016 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province of China. Photo: Getty Images
Owls can fly without making much — or sometimes any — sound.
Screech owls will respond to recorded versions of their calls.
A hawk owl sits on a fir branch near the village of Vasilkova, Belarus, Jan. 9, 2017. Photo: Reuters
Owls often engage in a process called mantling, where they put their wings around their prey so other animals don’t take it.
Barred owls can use their claws to climb trees.
An owl looks out from beside a sand bunker on the Olympic Golf Course during a practice session Sept. 8, 2016. Photo: Reuters
The word “owl” in Spanish is “búho” and “lechuza.”
Owls have three eyelids.
A Boreal owl chick looks out of the “Smart Nest Box,” which allows the study of birds by using mounted cameras, in a forest near the village of Mikulov, Czech Republic, June 18, 2016. Photo: Reuters
Owls can hear things happening from 75 feet away.
Snowy owls hunt during the day and the night. They also have feathers on their feet so they can stay warm.
An eagle owl fluffs out its feathers as it sits on one foot on a branch in its enclosure at the Grugapark in Essen, Germany, March 26, 2014. Photo: Reuters
Elf owls live in saguaro cacti.
Owls have four toes.
A woman holds a wild owl at Shakka village in northern Lebanon Oct. 14, 2012. Photo: Reuters
Owl eyes are not balls but tubes.
Their ears are sometimes asymmetrical.
A barn owl flies at a falconry demonstration during International Vulture Awareness Day, outside Zurrieq, on the southern coast of Malta, Sept. 5, 2009. Photo: Reuters
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
