The phrase “a parliament of owls” comes from medieval times, when people loved giving poetic names to animal groups. Writers imagined that owls, with their calm eyes and thoughtful faces, held wise meetings under the moonlight. The idea caught on after C.S. Lewis used it in The Chronicles of Narnia, where owls literally meet in a “Parliament of Owls.”
In truth, owls are mostly silent hunters who prefer solitude. But their slow movements and steady gaze made them symbols of wisdom in Greek mythology — sacred to Athena, the goddess of learning. So “parliament” felt like the perfect fit: dignified, serious, and wise.
Today, the phrase survives as one of English’s most charming collective nouns — more poetry than zoology. The next time you spot an owl, think not of government debates, but of a quiet gathering where wisdom has wings.