Oh, I’m a dum dum! 😔

You are close that they are eye-related. Owls can’t move their eyes in their sockets because they are too large and not round. That is why they do all the head twisting to see all around.

That works well for things a distance away, but that leaves them with a blind spot up close between their eyes!

Enter the rictal bristles… These are thought to be of a sensory nature, like cat whiskers. They let them “see” in that blind spot and also potentially get some feedback from the air in flight, or feel around in the dark.

Other birds have them, not just owls. They are named after the area around the beak, the rictus.

Note: not an owl