Evidence of owls in the Americas goes back to the dawn of time, with the birds represented in Mayan hieroglyphics.

The Mayans and Aztecs both seem to have regarded the owl as a messenger of death, a belief that still has some currency in south American countries. For instance, in some parts of Brazil the sight or sound of the birds is viewed as a bad omen. Conversely, in ancient Peru, the owl was worshipped.

Owls also have a strong presence in Native American rituals, with some species associated with taboo subjects like sorcery, and others elsewhere being seen as bearing the spirits of ancestors.