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The association between the owl and the goddess continued through Minerva in Roman mythology, although the latter sometimes simply adopts it as a sacred or favorite bird.. For example, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Corone the crow complains that her spot as the goddess' sacred bird is occupied by the owl, which in that particular story turns out to be Nyctimene, a cursed daughter of Epopeus, king ...
The type species was designated as the little owl (Athene noctua) by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1841. [2] [3] The genus name is from the little owl which was closely associated with the Greek goddess Athena, and often depicted with her. Her original role as a goddess of the night might explain the link to an owl. [4]
The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") [3] or the hoot owl, [4] is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. [5]
The smallest owl—weighing as little as 31 g (1 + 3 ⁄ 32 oz) and measuring some 13.5 cm (5 + 1 ⁄ 4 in)—is the elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi). [6] Around the same diminutive length, although slightly heavier, are the lesser known long-whiskered owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) and Tamaulipas pygmy owl (Glaucidium sanchezi). [6]
The little owl was formally described in 1769 by the Italian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli under the binomial name Strix noctua. [3] The little owl is now placed in the genus Athene that was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822. [4] [5] The owl was designated as the type species of the genus by George Robert Gray in 1841.
Barrett said the last substantial sighting came in 2022, noting this year’s visit is part of a snowy owl irruption — an unpredictable migration pattern resulting from a successful breeding season.
This image has been assessed under the valued image criteria and is considered the most valued image on Commons within the scope: Owl of Athena, statue at Acropolis museum, Athens. You can see its nomination here .
Nyctimene's name is derived from the Greek words νύξ (genitive νυκτός) meaning "night" [2] and μένω meaning "I stay", [3] that is, she who stays up at night (the owl). Both compound words are of Proto-Indo-European origin; νύξ from the PIE root *nókʷts , [ 4 ] and μένω from *men- .