Familiars of the gods

I needed to run some errands in Munich last week, and took advantage of the train ride in to take a long walk from Marienplatz to Pasing, passing through the grounds of Schloss Nymphenburg en route. I was delighted to pass this statue of Mercury holding a caduceus with a worshipful chicken by his left foot. (I googled "Hippocrates chicken" before figuring out this was Mercury; I should have noticed the wings on his feet.)

Mercury is the herald of the gods, and roosters are the heralds of the morning.

A little further west in the sculpture garden stands a goddess taking a selfie, with a clingy bird-like creature at her feet. Is that what a sculptor comes up with, if they've never seen an eagle in real life? I googled "diana eagle nymphenburg," and eventually landed on Proserpina with the owl Ascalaphus. I guess I'm relieved that the bird is not supposed to be an eagle, but this is a pretty freaky owl. 

Ascalaphus tended the orchards of Hades, and was the tattle-tale who let the gods know Proserpina had eaten some pomegranate seeds during her captivity. In response, Proserpina's justifiably incensed mother Demeter buried him under a rock; after Hercules rescued him, Demeter turned Ascalaphus into an eagle-owl (Eurasia's species of horned owl, genus Bubo along with the American horned owl). 

Perhaps the sculpted owl is supposed to look human-ish, with furrowed brow and lip-like beak? I'm guessing the sphere in the owl's lion-like paw is a pomegranate. Odd bird.