By Alec Chavez
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“Flying the red eye” is a commonly used expression to describe the tired appearance of one’s eyes after spending all night on a flight, typically across time zones. However, it seems that one species in the animal kingdom took this expression to heart. The stygian owl is an ominous-looking bird named after the river/deity Styx, which according to Greek mythology, was a goddess of the body of water that separated the earth from the underworld. This frightful flyer typically weighs one and a half pounds and stands at about two feet tall (about the size of a small kitten). You can find these critters rummaging through the dense forests across several mountain ranges in Central and South America.
A distinguishing feature of this species are their red eyes. These owls have reflective discs that give their eyes a bright red appearance when exposed to daylight. Coupled with their dark feather color and sharp, pointed ears, they can be quite unsettling especially when you aren’t expecting to see them…which you never are. Based on their appearance, they have commonly been associated with the occult, death, and all things evil. In Brazil, stygian owls are referred to as “coruja diablo” or the devil owl. Because of this perception, they are hunted and killed quite often, which is why humans are the largest threat to this species’ survival.
Despite their outward appearance however, these owls do not hold any special powers or pose any threat to humans. Similar to other owl species, the stygian owl is nocturnal, spending its days sleeping in dense vegetation and spending its nights preying on small birds and bats.
