The eyes of an owl are unusual - they have fixed eyes that go far back into their skulls, giving them excellent binocular vision — however, they have to turn their heads to change view. These gives them the fantastic depth perception necessary for low-light hunting. Their close-up vision is not as good, so once they catch their prey they use filoplumes - hairlike feathers on the beak and feet - that act as "feelers".
In many cultures, owls are seen as a symbol of death, and many see their appearance as a sign of impending death. An owl was said to have predicted the death of Julius Caesar! That's possibly why they've been linked so often with Halloween...
Owls are often depicted in fiction as being wise. This possibly stems from Greek mythology, where the owl is the symbol for Athena, the goddess of wisdom. A group of owls is called a parliament, and this is the term used by C.S. Lewis for a meeting of owls in The Chronicles of Narnia.
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