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This large owl with the distinctive face, large forward-facing eyes, horns and deep resonant call is associated with a number of superstitions. Like many other large owls, these are considered birds of ill omen. Their deep haunting calls if delivered from atop a house are considered to forebode the death of an occupant. A number of rituals involving the capture and killing of these birds have been recorded. Salim Ali notes a wide range of superstitions related to them but notes two as being particularly widespread. One is that if the bird is starved for a few days and beaten, it would speak like a human, predicting the future of the tormentor or bringing them wealth while the other involves the killing of the bird to find a lucky bone that moved against the current like a snake when dropped into a stream.Belief in these superstitions has led to the persecution of the species in many areas by tribal hunters. The capture of these birds is illegal under Indian law but an underground market continues to drive poaching.

Wild Eurasian Eagle Owls outside their nest. Mother and white chick, they eat a piece of meat.

A detailed portrait of an Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) with distinctive orange eyes, feathers, and a blurred natural backdrop capturing its essence in the wilderness.

Outline of an owl against a black background. European eagle owl.

Juvenile Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula).

A brown owl is sitting on a log. The owl has a large, yellow eye and a pointed beak. The scene is peaceful and quiet, with the owl looking out into the distance

Male Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum) perching on a deciduous tree.

Photo of the yellow eye of a grey eagle owl. Only part of its face is visible

A majestic Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) perched calmly on a wooden structure enveloped in South African greenery. Its piercing orange eyes contrast with the aged timber, creating a serene and poetic woodland scene.

$L 59-73cm, WS 138-170cm.\nResident in mountains an forests, preferring areas with rocks, steep cliffs and mature trees (preferably conifers); often in rocky archipelagos. Scattered distribution, generally rare and local.\nNocturnal and partly crepuscular. Day roost in dense mature spruces or firs, or in cave or crevice.\nFood mammals (voles, rats, hedgehogs, hares) and birds (corvids, gulls, wildfowl).\nNests on inaccessible cliff-edge or less often on the ground by rock, uprooted tree or among boulders, exceptionally in abandoned raptor’s nest or n barn, abandoned factory, etc.\nIn spite of its size and its impressive claws is by and large a non-violent and retiring owl near its nest, and aggressive behaviour toward humans is rare.\n\nThis is a scarce owl in the eastern and Southern part of the Netherlands and is mostly breeding in abandoned Quarries.\n\nThis Picture is made at a Birds of Prey Farm near Lunteren (Gelderland, the Netherlands).$

bubo lacteus isolated on white background

A Tawny Owl perching on a tree trunk in woodland scenic

Chick of Eurasian eagle-owl in a green grass (Bubo bubo)

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), close-up of a young bird in the zoo, Ukraine

Portrait of a barn owl, with yellow eyes. Very close up

Bubo bubo isolated on a white backgorund

Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) resting on a wooden perch in a Danish wildlife enclosure with a rustic backdrop. The owl exhibits distinctive plumage and vivid orange eyes, embodying the essence of nature.

Single eagle resting on a branch near the woodland edge and open wetlands.

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