An Owl-ing experience!

That is a freak experience. Don't owls eat mice and rabbits? Your daughter must be tiny. Maybe it was bringing a message from Harry Potter.

Owls usually prey on rather small animals...namely mice. Odd that it would try and swoop in on a human...maybe it's just in a bitch mood. Whereabouts do you live?...I just need a region and I'll try and find out what kind of owl it was, also any description is helpful...I know, I have nothing better to do. I found an odd bug in English class a few weeks back and I didn't have a clue as to what it was...and so, I looked it up. Turned out it was a wheel bug, which is a type of assassin bug....and they give a real nasty bite. Suppose I was lucky it didn't nip me when I so casually picked it up, but I'm brave.

~Zoo

That is a freak experience. Don't owls eat mice and rabbits? Your daughter must be tiny. Maybe it was bringing a message from Harry Potter.

Hahaha...I know! She's not that tiny to me, she's five and slightly taller than the average 5 year old, but she's slender.

I found an odd bug in English class a few weeks back and I didn't have a clue as to what it was...and so, I looked it up. Turned out it was a wheel bug, which is a type of assassin bug....and they give a real nasty bite. Suppose I was lucky it didn't nip me when I so casually picked it up, but I'm brave.

Ugh! That sounds like a bug we've seen around here, but I don't think this one is poisonous. I can't remember the name of it and my hubby sleeping for me to ask the name (the bug that is).

Owls usually prey on rather small animals...namely mice. Odd that it would try and swoop in on a human...maybe it's just in a bitch mood. Whereabouts do you live?...I just need a region and I'll try and find out what kind of owl it was, also any description is helpful...I know, I have nothing better to do.

Oh no, any info would be helpful! I wanted to get a picture but I couldn't because it flew off and it was kind of hidden when I saw it in the tree. I just saw white wings and I think it's grey and white. My daughter got a good look at it because it looked right into her face as if it was checking her out. She said it had the pointy ears, and it was white faced. She's sleeping too so I can't get her to describe it to me again. We drew a picture and she was supposed to colour it. I'm tellign you I found it odd especially since she's not a mice or squirrel!

My hubby said it probably thought she was food from the distance it was at but it was odd because she was just a few inches away from her, he was walking behind, she was in front. And it flew that close to him, in between as if to get a grip on her!

I'm in Orlando, on the East side. It's partly rural, not very, we live near a highway. It's pretty open here there are lakes and trees around, but not close to the homes. There is a tree near to our building, but not too close. You could havea football game going on the grass outside our door, so it's pretty spacious. Let me know if you can decipher anything and I'll get more details from her when she wakes up in the morning, er, make that later in the morning. Look at the time!

Actually Loca I posted a picture of my two youngest in my Holloween 2006 blog. She's with her brother and by herself, you'll she her size.

Owls, and other birds of prey have very acute vision, and being as how your youngest is so cute, maybe it made a mistake (sorry, a bad pun I know, but I couldn't resist)

She said it had the pointy ears, and it was white faced.

Hahaha...that sounds like a barn owl mixed with a Great horned owl...that would be odd. I do believe that's impossible....but a fun concept.

Well...I'll hit the internet sometime tomorrow and see what I can dig up...Zoo needs his sleep right now.

~Zoo

Nah, it wasn't attacking your kid. I've had them do that to me back when I was a security guard on a college campus. What your husband didn't see was probably some rodent or small bird on the ground near your daughter. When your daughter ran it probably scared the real target into running too.

I've had them whooosh right past me and hit stuff a few feet behind me on the ground. It's freaky, but they don't mean any threat.

Nah, it wasn't attacking your kid. I've had them do that to me back when I was a security guard on a college campus. What your husband didn't see was probably some rodent or small bird on the ground near your daughter. When your daughter ran it probably scared the real target into running too.

Ditto.  Owls can hurt you with their beaks and claws, but I have yet to see one want to get close to anything larger than a rabbit.  But they can scare you when they swoop close to you!

Owls, and other birds of prey have very acute vision, and being as how your youngest is so cute, maybe it made a mistake (sorry, a bad pun I know, but I couldn't resist)

Hehe, don't worry, I didn't get offended! But like my husband said, she probably looked really small to it from the height it was at.

Hahaha...that sounds like a barn owl mixed with a Great horned owl...that would be odd

Yes, in that area there are barned owl. I found this out on the internet at 2am but had to get to sleep myself. Whatever you can tell me would be good. Now I'm going to be very leary going out after dark!

Nah, it wasn't attacking your kid. I've had them do that to me back when I was a security guard on a college campus. What your husband didn't see was probably some rodent or small bird on the ground near your daughter. When your daughter ran it probably scared the real target into running too. I've had them whooosh right past me and hit stuff a few feet behind me on the ground. It's freaky, but they don't mean any threat.

Ahhhh, [that's me letting out a big sigh] your explanation sounds very reasonable to me. Thx Baker. We've just never had that happened before.

But they can scare you when they swoop close to you!

It certainly did!

Maybe it was bringing a message from Harry Potter.

Hahahaha!!! That's funny! Aw, your poor daughter is probably going to develop a lifelong fear of owls now. That is so crazy, they are so rarely seen as it is, let alone being seen attacking children! Seriously though, I am glad it didn't get too close to hurt her.

When you say Orlando I'm going with Florida.

Florida has five owls: Great Horned, Barn, Burrowing, Screech and Barred. From that little list and your mention of the white face I can pretty much assume that it's a barn owl, but there are no ear tufts.Which look like this:



Great horned owls have ear tufts(they are not ears at all, ears are behind the eyes on the side of the head), which are their namesake. Pictured below.



Here's a cute little screech owl.



This next one's a barred owl...devouring a tiny mouse!



And while I know for certain it's not a burrowing owl...here's a picture anyway...cause I'm on a roll.




If it's not one of those...then frankly, I'm stumped.

~Zoo

Reply By: Zoologist03

Ahhh!  They all look so cute!

And you are a zoologist geek! 

And glad to have you around!

And you are a zoologist geek!

Heh, heh...well, indeed I am.   

And glad to have you around!

 Thanks, Doc.   

~Zoo

Hahahaha!!! That's funny! Aw, your poor daughter is probably going to develop a lifelong fear of owls now. That is so crazy, they are so rarely seen as it is, let alone being seen attacking children! Seriously though, I am glad it didn't get too close to hurt her.

Thx Jenny, she's fine! She is a little scared but she said she won't be. It was an unusual experience though!

When you say Orlando I'm going with Florida.

Yes!

that it's a barn owl, but there are no ear tufts.Which look like this:

Yo Shaun, you got it right and these pictures are fantastic! Color me impressed with your thoroughness!

She's loving the pictures which I'm printing for her right now and she has identified the Barn Owl as the one that scared her. Possibly because it was so close to her face and the shape of the face, she thought there were horns or tuft.

The Barred Owl seemed to be the size of what the Owl was though, that wing span is the same, I think.

But well done Dr. Zoologist! I'm so happy you did this.

And glad to have you around!

Ditto!

Color me impressed with your thoroughness!

Hey, when it comes animals I cannot be too thorough.

But well done Dr. Zoologist! I'm so happy you did this.

Heh, heh...maybe a doctor someday, if I feel like it.

And glad to have you around!

Thank ye kindly.


Well, glad I could help. If anything else tries to eat your daughter, just tell me and I'll help you figure out what it is.

~Zoo

Well, glad I could help. If anything else tries to eat your daughter, just tell me and I'll help you figure out what it is.

Cool! On and that note, I bid you goodnight/morning seeing as it's practically 1am. I usually stay up to read but I'm beat!

Swoosh! Great word that. Even sounds like I bet it must feel. Ive heard all kinds of sounds including but not limited too bumps, bangs, squeals and bursts but not yet a "swoosh".

Looking forward to the experience though. Just hope it doesn't have big razor wire claws attached to it if and when it does happen thats all.

Swoosh! Excellent.   

Glad to hear your daughter escaped injury.

Maybe the owl tried jerked pork or chicken before, and was now looking for anything Jamaican.

Swoosh!

Actually, owls are virtually silent when they fly...so as not to alert any would be food items.

Ok, I'd better stop before I get annoying, or is it too late already?...

~Zoo

Swoosh! Great word that.

Yes, exactly what it sounded like they said!

Glad to hear your daughter escaped injury.

Thx Chris!

Maybe the owl tried jerked pork or chicken before, and was now looking for anything Jamaican.

Hahaha, jamaicanmecrazy!

Actually, owls are virtually silent when they fly...so as not to alert any would be food items.

Really? Maybe it was the wind sound of his wings, he was big! And you're never boring Zoo, it's all pretty interesting. We usually watch a lot of those programs on telly that features animals and such. My hubby especially.

Oh Zoo, update, I finally got a good look at the owl last night, unfortunately didn't run for my camera fast enough, it looked more like the Screeched owl and not the Barn Owl! It was a pretty good size too, and we're thinking (my hubby and I) that perhaps its a female and has a nest somewhere nearby. Even it may have been a pet because it didn't move as close as we were to it, as if it wasn't scared of human presence at all. It just sad on the fence post staring at us! My daughter ran for cover because she didn't like it!!

My daughter ran for cover because she didn't like it!

Heh, heh...lest she be carried away and fed to little owlets.   

~Zoo