Ever looked up at a dark treeline and wondered what to call that huddle of feathered shadows? Most of us just say "a bunch of owls." It works. But if you want to get technical—or maybe just sound a little more sophisticated at your next trivia night—the term you're looking for is a parliament.
It's a weird word for a bird, honestly. When we think of a parliament, we usually think of stuffy politicians in London or Ottawa arguing over tax codes and zoning laws. We don't think of silent predators with 270-degree neck rotation and talons that can crush bone. So, why do we use it?
The C.S. Lewis Connection and the Origin of the Term
Most people assume these collective nouns for animals, often called "terms of venery," come from some ancient, dusty book of medieval hunting laws. While many do, the term for a group of owls actually has a more literary, modern soul. It’s widely believed that C.S. Lewis popularized "a parliament of owls" in his 1953 book The Silver Chair, part of The Chronicles of Narnia.
In the story, the owls gather at night to discuss the affairs of Narnia. They’re portrayed as wise, somewhat ponderous, and very serious. It fit. The name stuck so well that it migrated from the pages of fantasy fiction into the real-world lexicon of birders and naturalists.
But wait. There’s a catch.
Owls are notoriously solitary. They aren't like starlings that move in massive, undulating clouds called murmurations. They aren't like geese. You rarely see twenty Great Horned Owls hanging out together unless something very strange—or very plentiful in terms of food—is happening. Because they don't naturally hang out in crowds, the term "parliament" is more of a poetic curiosity than a biological necessity.
When Owls Actually Do Gather
If owls are loners, when do we actually use the word? There are specific moments.
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Take the Short-eared Owl. Unlike many of its cousins, this species is known to roost communally during the winter months. If you find a field in late January where the vole population is exploding, you might actually see a dozen or more Short-eared Owls huddled in the tall grass or low bushes. That is a parliament in action.
Then you have the Burrowing Owl. These little guys live in underground tunnels, often abandoned by prairie dogs. They live in loose colonies. It’s probably the closest thing to a "neighborhood" you’ll find in the owl world.
Other Names You Might Hear
Nature is rarely satisfied with just one name. While parliament is the heavy hitter, you’ll occasionally hear people refer to a stare of owls. It makes sense. If you’ve ever walked under a tree and had four pairs of unblinking, yellow eyes lock onto you simultaneously, "stare" feels a lot more accurate than "parliament." It’s unsettling. It’s intense.
In some older or more regional contexts, you might even hear:
- A wisdom of owls (playing into the Greek Athena myth)
- A study of owls
- A looming of owls (specifically for those appearing out of the mist)
Why "Parliament" Actually Makes Sense (Sort Of)
Think about the posture of an owl. They sit upright. They look like they’re wearing robes. They have those feathered "ear" tufts that can look like a barrister’s wig if you squint hard enough.
In Greek mythology, the owl was the companion of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategy. The bird represented deep thought and the ability to see what others couldn't. When you group them together, the imagery naturally shifts toward a council of elders. They look like they are judging you. They probably are.
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The Science of Socializing
Ornithologists—the people who actually spend their lives tracking these birds—don't usually use "parliament" in peer-reviewed papers. They use boring terms like "communal roost" or "aggregation."
The reason owls gather isn't for conversation. It's for survival.
- Heat retention: In brutal winters, huddling helps.
- Food density: If one field has a thousand mice, every owl for ten miles is showing up to the party.
- Safety: More eyes mean a better chance of spotting a marauding Bobcat or a Great Horned Owl (yes, some owls eat other owls).
Barn Owls are a great example of this. During the nesting season, you might find a family unit that looks like a group, but it’s really just a temporary social structure. Once the owlets learn to hunt, the "parliament" dissolves, and everyone goes back to being a silent, solitary ghost of the night.
Different Species, Different Rules
Not all owls are created equal when it comes to social cues.
The Great Horned Owl is the "get off my lawn" guy of the bird world. They are fiercely territorial. If two males meet, it's usually not a parliament; it’s a fight. They need huge ranges—sometimes several square miles—to support their hunting habits.
On the flip side, the Snowy Owl can be surprisingly tolerant of others during their "irruption" years. Every few years, when the lemming population in the Arctic crashes, Snowy Owls fly south in huge numbers. You might see five or six of them sitting on the same beach or airfield in places like Boston or Chicago. Even then, they aren't exactly "friends." They’re just sharing the same buffet line.
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What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that a "parliament" is a common sight. It’s not. If you see ten owls together, you’re either at a rehabilitation center, a very specific winter roosting site, or you’re dreaming.
Another mistake? Thinking "parliament" applies to baby owls.
A group of baby owls is usually just called a brood. They stay in the nest (or "scrape") until they are ready to fledge. Watching a brood of Snowy Owls try to walk is basically the internet's favorite thing, but it’s definitely not a formal parliament.
How to Spot an Owl "Parliament" Yourself
If you're dying to see a group of owls, don't just wander into the woods at midnight. You won't see anything. You'll just get tripped by a root.
Instead, look for "whitewash"—that’s the polite term for owl poop—on the trunks of evergreen trees. Also, look for owl pellets. These are the undigested bits of fur and bone that owls cough up. If you find a tree with fifty pellets under it, you’ve found a roost.
Check local birding reports (like eBird) during the winter months. Look for "Short-eared Owl" sightings in open marshes or grasslands around sunset. When the sun starts to dip, they all emerge at once to hunt. For about twenty minutes, the sky is full of them. It’s the closest thing to a real-life parliament you’ll ever experience.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Birder
If you want to use your new knowledge, start by focusing on conservation and observation ethics.
- Keep your distance: Use binoculars or a long lens. If an owl is staring at you with wide eyes, you’re too close. You’re stressing them out.
- Keep locations quiet: If you find a rare parliament of Long-eared Owls, be careful about posting the exact GPS coordinates on social media. "Owl hounding" is a real problem where too many photographers crowd the birds, causing them to abandon their roosts.
- Listen, don't just look: Learning owl calls is often more effective than looking for feathers. A group of Barred Owls can sound like a literal riot of "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"
- Support habitat: Owls need old-growth trees and unpolluted grasslands. Joining a local Audubon chapter or donating to land trusts helps ensure these "parliaments" have a place to meet for another century.
Owls are some of the most specialized hunters on the planet. Whether you call them a parliament, a stare, or just a lucky find, seeing them in a group is a rare glimpse into a hidden, nocturnal world that most of us completely sleep through.