owl

A member of the Strigidae family of birds. Several species of owl, occur in Palestine, and the Bible makes reference to a little owl (Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16; Ps 102:6), a great owl (Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), a screech owl (Zeph 2:14), and a desert owl (Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17; Zeph 2:14); see also (Isa 34:11, Isa 34:15). The correlation of the biblical terms with modern species is problematic, but all varieties of owls were apparently regarded as unclean (Lev 11:16; Deut 14:15).