Owl Research Institute

The magnificent raptor sat motionless upon a weathered branch, its ear tufts sticking up like horns. Dark heart-shaped streaks ran down its pale breast, while the barred wings merged seamlessly with the bark behind it. It seemed less like a bird than a fantastic beast of the forest itself, one that had briefly chosen to appear before me. Unlike Barnie’s luminous face which invited affinity, the formidable appearance of the Forest Eagle-Owl resisted familiarity. There was some