Ghosts, goblins, and vampires; monsters, werewolves, and witches—all are images that conjure up fear and superstition. We see them out in force this time of year in the latest horror films, and of course, as costumes and decorations for Halloween. As terrifying as these mythological creatures are, they become even spookier when paired with a full moon and the low, distant hoot of an owl.
While most of us living in the twenty first century appreciate the beauty and special role in nature that owls play, that was not always the case. Owl superstitions and folklore reach far back in history. We haven’t had electric lights and flashlights or infrared cameras for very long; it’s easy to understand an animal that moved silently, hunted at night, and made hair-raising sounds could frighten humans having relatively poor night-vision. Any creature that was nocturnal was automatically a creature associated with evil. Those animals that were active at night were paired with malevolent beings: bats with vampires, wolves with werewolves, owls with witches. Tuffs of feathers on the top of some owls’ heads gave them the appearance of horned devils. The screech of an owl sounded like the cackling or shrieking of a witch to some people. Since witches were thought to be able to assume other shapes, owls seemed like a likely candidate.
The more that we have learned about owls, the more we appreciate them and the less sinister they seem. Granted, we are still likely to bristle at the sound of a 
rabbit screaming when it’s struck by owl talons in the night. We might still jump at the drawn-out rasping screech of a barn owl and our hearts may still flutter at the bright, glassy stare of an owl. But it’s more likely, when we hear the ghostly woo of a long-eared owl or encounter the comical northern saw-whet owl that we will know that all is well in the world. These beautiful birds are valuable assets that keep rodent and insect populations under control.
From the tiny northern pygmy owl to the massive great horned owl, owls have earned our admiration and respect. This is a great time of year to go out looking and listening for owls. Although barn owls may have left for warmer winter grounds, some burrowing owls and flammulated owls are still around. Other species, such as short-eared owls, are just arriving. Eastern and western screech owls, northern pygmy owls, northern saw-whet owls, and great horned owls are here year-round. For more information on Colorado’s owls, read Colorado’s Wildlife Company issues A Parliament of Owls and The Little Owls).