History Headscratchers / GuardiansOfGahoole

** According to this [[https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/706549-glossary glossary]], stone stunning is where an owl gets lost in a predominately rocky place (like a canyon) and, apparently, they lose their sense of navigation. It's not clear how it happens but, if it's similar to gettin' moonblinked, perhaps it where an owl gets lost to such a degree that they get confused? The books don't say exactly how it happens, either.

*** Or that fish owls function more like seagulls in this universe. Then again, since we see the owls usin' tools (a lot of which require metalurgy to make), maybe they invented some kind of special oil for their feathers so they can dive.

** There are many inconsistencies between the books and the film (such as Kludd and Metal Beak being two separate characters in the film rather than the same one in the books) so it's safe to assume that in the books they ''can'' successfully produce owlets together. Not only this but Nyra and Kludd had another egg before Coryn's egg was laid, too. The stolen egg theory is possible, however.

** There are many inconsistencies between the books and the film (such as Kludd and Metal Beak being two separate characters in the film rather than the same one in the books) so it's safe to assume that in the books they ''can'' successfully produce owlets together.

** There are many inconsistencies between the books and the film so it's safe to assume that in the books they ''can'' successfully produce owlets together.

* In ''The Legends of Ga'Hoole'', we're told that owls and hagsfiends can mate, but that they cannot successfully breed and produce living chick(s). An example of hagsfiend/owl mating is Pleek and Ygryk, a Great Horned Owl and a hagsfiend. However, after ''Legends'', we're told in later books that Nyra was not a true or pure Barn Owl, but "a hagsfiend, or descendant of hagsfiends / Dragon Owls, disguised as a Barn Owl"; can use fyngrot, something only hagsfiends can use; and yet, Nyra successfully mated and bred with Kludd, a Barn Owl, to produce Nyroc/Coryn. How? Did she actually lay an egg, or did she steal Nyroc/Coryn's egg from another Barn Owl couple, and pass it off as her and Kludd's egg?

*** Seconded. Crows and owls in real life are natural enemies (one is willing to kill the other and vice versa) so it makes sense for the owls to make a really bad insult to crows given their high intelligence.

*** While that explains the first bit, it doesn't explain the second. And that's not even the only example of DanBrowned. The book also goes on to claim that burrowing owls dig all their own burrows (not true; most don't); and that no owls are ever up during the day (some, such as the short-eared owl and great gray owl, are, on occasion).

* In ''The Legends of Ga'Hoole'', we're told that owls and hagsfiends can mate, but that they cannot successfully breed and produce living chick(s). An example of hagsfiend/owl mating is Pleek and Ygryk, a Great Horned Owl and a hagsfiend. However, after ''Legends'', we're told in later books that Nyra was not a true or pure Barn Owl, but "a hagsfiend, or descendant of hagsfiends / Dragon Owls, disguised as a Barn Owl"; can use fyngrot, something only hagsfiends can use; and yet, Nyra successfully mated and bred with Kludd, a Barn Owl, to produce Nyroc/Coryn. How? Did she steal Nyroc/Coryn's egg from another Barn Owl couple, and pass it off as her and Kludd's egg?

* What exactly is Stone Stunning?

** Maybe it's an evolved species of owls

* How do owls read if their eyes are fixed in their sockets? Is their written language designed around this limitation?

*** The better question is, why hasn't anyone made a fanfic with the above idea yet? That's freaking AWESOME!

* Kind of a mix of FridgeLogic and ItJustBugsMe. Weapons like battle claws and swords of ice were somehow invented long, long before fighting with burning branches. Even if we decide to roll with the idea, one would think that it wouldn't take a few hundred years for some owl to figure out that a lighted branch could be useful in battle, but apparently it simply didn't happen before the Band came along.

*** This Troper finds that it's very possible for a larger brain in owls to work, with them also still being able to fly; however, it would require changing the location of the series from Earth to Mars. (Granted, that would raise even ''more'' questions, but it's still something to think about. Feel free to run with this idea however you want.)
*** Personally, this troper likes to imagine that the series takes place on Mars, and that everyone and everything is genetically engineered, the series takes place on Mars, and it's all an experiment to see if avian life can develop civilization and reach the stars. (The castle can be explained as a rich idiot building a few castles on Mars before they abandoned the colony. The moon of Ga'Hoole's world is an artificial creation.) I really put too much thought into this theory, didn't I?

*** This Troper finds that it's very possible for a larger brain in owls to work, with them also still being able to fly; however, it would require changing the location of the series from Earth to Mars. (Granted, that would raise even ''more'' questions, but it's still something to think about. Feel free to run with this idea however you want.)

*** This Troper finds that it's very possible for a larger brain in owls to work, with them also still being able to fly; however, it would require changing the location of the series from Earth to Mars. (Granted, that would raise even ''more'' questions, but it's still an interesting idea.)

** Could be considered an [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality acceptable break from reality]]. Any story featuring nonhuman animals behaving in ways that could be seen as humanlike requires this sort of thing - really, complex thought and brain size take a back seat to all the rest of the things going on in this series. [[note]]Also keep in mind that brain size and mental capacity don't correlate nearly as cleanly as many people think. Rats are capable of rapid, complex problem-solving on the same level (and in some cases, arguably on a higher level) as dogs, for example, while giraffes have brains roughly equal in size to humans while not showing nearly the same level of complex thought. Not to say that brain size plays ''no'' role in determining intelligence, as it's definitely a factor, it's just not a very clean cut one in some cases.[[/note]]

** Could be considered an [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality acceptable break from reality]]. Any story featuring nonhuman animals behaving in ways that could be seen as humanlike requires this sort of thing - really, complex thought and brain size take a back seat to all the rest of the things going on in this series. [[note]]Also keep in mind that brain size and mental capacity don't correlate nearly as cleanly as many people think. Rats are capable of rapid, complex problem-solving on the same level (and in some cases, arguably on a higher level) as dogs, for example, while giraffes have brains roughly equal in size to humans while not showing nearly the same level of complex thought. Not to say that brain size plays ''no'' role in determining intelligence, as it's definitely a factor, it's just not a very clean cut one in some cases.[[/note]]

*** The way this troper interprets the series, in a Grand Unifying Headscratcher Answer, is that the Owls are genetically engineered for sapience. This trooper's WMG(GUG?) is that the Owls live on a terraformed Mars (Specifically, a failed Martian Colony,) and that this is all an experiment by a spacefaring humanity to see if nonhuman life would develop along a similar path. Using that logic, Crows and seagulls could have also been engineered to fit the environment, and were only partially uplifted. (Also, the moon is Ceres, towed from orbit and placed in a stable orbit around Mars to make sure that the experiment would succeed.) Yes, this is really this trooper's interpretation.

*** The way this troper interprets the series, the Owls are on a terraformed Mars, are either genetically engineered or descended from genetically engineered owls, and that this is all an experiment by a spacefaring humanity to see if nonhuman life would develop along a similar path. Using that logic, Crows and seagulls could have also been engineered to fit the environment, and were only partially uplifted. (Also, the moon is Ceres, towed from orbit and placed in a stable orbit around Mars to make sure that the experiment would succeed.) Seriously, this theory could explain EVERYTHING about the series.

** Could be considered an [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality acceptable break from reality]]. Any story featuring nonhuman animals behaving in ways that could be seen as humanlike requires this sort of thing - really, complex thought and brain size take a back seat to all the rest of the things going on in this series. [[note]]Also keep in mind that brain size and mental capacity don't correlate nearly as cleanly as many people think. Rats are capable of rapid, complex problem-solving on the same level (and in some cases, arguably on a higher level) as dogs, for example, while giraffes have brains roughly equal in size to humans while not showing nearly the same level of complex thought. Not to say that brain size plays ''no'' role in determining intelligence, as it's definitely a factor, it's just not a very clean cut one in some cases.[[/note]]