The eared owl and the common owl exhibit pronounced mimetic behavior that can be exploited by hunters, who catch them by dancing in front of them while an accomplice seizes the bird as it imitates the dancer’s gestures.

By Aristotle, from History of Animals

Key Arguments

  • He attributes to the eared owl a roguish character and mimetic capacity: "It is a great rogue of a bird, and is a capital mimic;".
  • He describes the capture technique: "a bird-catcher will dance before it and, while the bird is mimicking his gestures, the accomplice comes behind and catches it."
  • He adds that the common owl is susceptible to the same trick: "The common owl is caught by a similar trick."
  • These details imply that the birds’ tendency to mimic conspicuous movement overrides caution, making them vulnerable.

Source Quotes

The eared owl is like an ordinary owl, only that it has feathers about its ears; by some it is called the night-raven. It is a great rogue of a bird, and is a capital mimic; a bird-catcher will dance before it and, while the bird is mimicking his gestures, the accomplice comes behind and catches it. The common owl is caught by a similar trick.
It is a great rogue of a bird, and is a capital mimic; a bird-catcher will dance before it and, while the bird is mimicking his gestures, the accomplice comes behind and catches it. The common owl is caught by a similar trick. As a general rule all birds with crooked talons are short-necked, flat-tongued, and disposed to mimicry.

Key Concepts

  • It is a great rogue of a bird, and is a capital mimic; a bird-catcher will dance before it and, while the bird is mimicking his gestures, the accomplice comes behind and catches it.
  • The common owl is caught by a similar trick.

Context

Book VIII, section 12, directly after describing the eared owl’s morphology and nickname, where Aristotle notes practical hunting techniques based on its mimetic behavior.