Whether through pop culture, or more lasting references like beloved children’s books, owls have long been associated with wisdom and knowledge. And while there are no set numbers for what determines a parliament of owls, since these birds rarely congregate in large groups, smaller numbers are considered special and would be referred to as a parliament or congress.Īlso read: How to Attract Owls to Your Backyard Why is it called a parliament of owls? In Ancient Greece, owls were a symbol of higher wisdom and associated with Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, and Strategy. ![]() When is a flock of owls a parliament and how many does it take to make one? Presumably, this term came about because of their association with wisdom knowledge. In it, the author describes a group of owls is a parliament of owls and, with the book’s popularity, sealed their fate in popular culture and literature alike. ![]() Although rarely seen in a group, this poetic description was widely spread by a children’s book published in the 1950s called The Chronicles of Narnia ( 3). Owls, long associated with knowledge and wisdom, are most often known as a Parliament. Most animal group terms or terms of venery can be traced back to Books of Courtesy – manuals for nobles on aspects of noble living, including guidelines on what to say ( 2). It’s unclear where the term first originated, but a group of owls is known as a Parliament or Congress, and less commonly a stare. Read on to discover the terms used for a group of owls and a short history of collective nouns. Many of these terms date back to the Late Middle Ages, a time when handbooks were published for nobility, and saying or doing the wrong thing at court could be social suicide.Īnd although most are nothing more than a remnant of medieval whimsy, many persist in modern language for their usefulness and flair alike, holding a special place in the literature ( 1). Owls are usually seen alone or in pairs, but what is a group of owls called? Collective nouns or terms of venery as they are often known, are those quirky and sometimes peculiar names for groups of animals.
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