The bird of Athena, the Greek goddess of practical reason, is the little owl (Athene noctua).

Owls
became symbolic of intelligence because it was thought that they presaged events. On the other hand,
because of their nocturnal existence and ominous hooting sounds, owls have also been symbols
associated with the occult and the otherworldly. Their secretive habits, quiet flight, and haunting calls
have made them the objects of superstition and even fear in many parts of the world. In the Middle
Ages the little owl was used as a symbol of the “darkness” before the coming of Christ; by further
extension it was used to symbolize a nonbeliever who dwells in this darkness. Similarly the barn owl
(Tyto alba) was looked upon as a bird of ill omen, and it subsequently became a symbol of disgrace.
Scientific study of owls is difficult owing to their silent nighttime activity, with the result that the
ecology, behaviour, and taxonomy of many species remain poorly understoodburrowing owl, (Athene
cunicularia), small owl of the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes) that inhabits prairie lands of the
Western Hemisphere from southwestern Canada to Tierra del Fuego. Burrowing owls live in holes
abandoned by other animals. They eat mainly insects and small rodents.

Burrowing owls are slender, rather long-legged birds about 20 cm (8 inches) long. They are brown with
small white spots, a white face and brows, and yellow eyes. During the day burrowing owls may stand by
the burrow or on a post. They hunt near sunrise and sunset, capturing prey by running it down along the
ground or swooping in from a nearby perch. Burrowing owls are preyed upon by a wide variety of
predators, including falcons, hawks, and other birds of prey, wild and domesticated canines and felines,
weasels, and badgers. When approached by humans, they bob up and down, likely as a way to gauge
their distance from those approaching, and then fly a short distance away.

Some classifications also consider other members of Athene as burrowing owls. Little owls (A. noctua),
which live in Eurasia and northern Africa, and spotted owlets (A. brama), a species whose range includes
India and parts of the Middle East, also frequently make their nests in burrows.