Owl
From Harry Potter Wiki
- This article is about the creature. You may be looking for the O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) exams..
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| Owl | |
|---|---|
| Species information | |
| Sentience |
Semi-Sentient |
| Feather colour |
Various |
| Native range |
Various |
| Wingspan of average adult |
Various |
| Distinction(s) |
Used in Postal Services and companionship |
| Affiliation |
Quibbler |
| Ministry of Magic Classification |
XX |
Owls are birds of prey. There are over 200 species of owls. They normally feed on small animals, insects, fish and other birds. Owls do not make nests, instead sheltering inside trees, ground burrows, caves and barns. Though owls do not live in flocks, the term for a group of owls is a parliament. The study of owls is called ornithology. Fossil records show owls as being the earliest existing bird after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Normally, owls are nocturnal and keep to themselves, but in the wizarding world they serve many needed functions.
Contents |
[edit] Postal Workers
Owls are enlisted to aid communication between wizards. Letters, parcels, and Howlers are all delivered this through owls. Serrations on an owl's flight feathers reduce the noise of flight, coupled with their natural camoflauge, making them ideal for delivering letters.
Owls must be trained to carry letters. Possibly only certain owls with attunement to magic can be trained for this purpose. Possibly they are trained by wizards who can talk to animals.
Owls are employed for commercial purposes, such as the Owl Post Office, and the delivery of newspapers and magazines such as the Daily Prophet and The Quibbler. The Ministry of Magic formerly employed owls for interdepartmental memos, but switched to enchanted paper airplanes because owls made too much of a mess.
[edit] Breeds
The smallest owl is the Elf Owl. Since Elf Owls lack the feathers for silent flying, it is likely Ron Weasley's owl Pigwidgeon was a Pygmy Owl, as they are slightly larger than the Elf but with serrated feathers. The Eurasian Eagle Owl has curvy feathers on its brow and ears. This is possibly the breed of the "hawk-like owl" which was part of the Lovegood family. The Snowy Owl is native to the Arctic and grows brown feathers in the summer.
[edit] Known Owls
- Hedwig- companion to Harry Potter
- Errol - Weasley family
- Hermes - belongs to Percy Weasley
- Pigwidgeon - Ron Weasley
- Hawk-Like Owl- presumably companion to the Lovegoods
- Screech Owl- companion to Draco Malfoy
[edit] Behind the scenes
- During the production of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there was an attempt to train bats to carry letters but that was abandoned because bats urinate during flight.
- It took trainers three months to train owls to carry letters for the films.
