As many of you know, owls are my favorite animal. These magnificent creatures are unique in various ways, from being able to twist their heads to just having such big eyes! While surfing the web, I discovered some very interesting owl facts from Mental Floss and Listverse that made me love owls even more!

1. A group of owls is called a parliament

The picture above describes exactly what I was thinking when I discovered this fact. The term parliament actually originated from C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.

2. They are cannibals

Large owls, such as the Great Horned Owl, will feast on smaller owls, including the Barred Owl. This just seems depressing. I thought owls were supposed to be nice to each other, not eat each other!

3. The smallest owl is five inches tall

The elf owl is the world's smallest owl. It is five to six inches tall and weighs approximately one and a half ounces. It's so cute!

4. They live in cacti

Speaking of the adorable elf owl, it lives in giant saguaro cacti. I never pictured owls living in anything but trees.

5. They fly silently

When owls fly, they make no noise, which makes them incredible hunters. This is due to their feathers. (Speaking of their feathers, I wonder how soft they are...)

6. They are related to hummingbirds

That's right; these scary bird are closely related to hummingbirds and song birds, such as sparrows. This is shocking due to their similarities to hawks and other large birds.

7. They are found everywhere

Well, mostly everywhere. Owls are found in most regions, except for Antarctica, some remote islands, and most of Greenland.

8. They make scary noises

Aside from hooting, owls also screech and even hiss. This can terrify their prey, and humans, definitely including me.

9. Owls and humans are besties

As I hoped, owls and humans get along well. There are even places in Japan people can drink tea with owls around!