You can hear the hoot of an owl at night even a mile away, yet in the darkness, only the nocturnal animal can truly see you due to their precocious eyesight.

6. Owl’s Sight Cuts Through Illusion

Owl’s eyes are large, glowing orbs that can be brought to life by a talented tattoo artist looking to convey a range of meanings with the creature’s look.

With the ability to see in the darkness, a black and gray or colorful owl tattoo application represents the idea of seeing beyond illusion, masks, and deception.

The owl showcases the power of seeing someone’s true state of mind while uncovering all the dark, hidden secrets, which link back through time to the bird perched on the shoulder of the Greek Goddess Athena (see above).

7. The Night Owl Tattoo

Because it’s a nocturnal animal, the owl is difficult to find but a precious thing to look for. Most of the time an owl tattoo features complicated, highly detailed, and beautiful design concepts.

Paired with the moon, dark forests and the evening, the owl often represents those who feel strongest, focused, and most attuned to the rhythms of the night.

An owl symbol is a perfect counterpart for the tattoo enthusiast wishing to associate with the nighttime personality of the bird.

The Meaning of Different Application Styles

From cute owl tattoo ideas, geometric designs, and watercolor ink, the different approaches to owl symbolism referenced below will help you choose a concept that you can take to the tattoo parlor.

8. Realistic Owl Tattoo Symbolism

In contemporary ink culture, tattoos of the owl show off the relationship between feathers, beak, and their eyes in painstaking detail.

With the ability to turn its head up to 270 degrees, a snowy owl can quite literally see in almost every direction without moving its body an inch.

Their soft feathers and fringes muffle sound to near silence but are great for use in tattoos due to the different textures, linework, and shading possibilities.