The Great Horned Owl at Your Library

OwlHave you ever seen a real owl? When you walk into the children’s area of the Columbia Public Library, you’ll find one staring back at you! While this owl is no longer alive, she is most definitely real. The owl was donated to the library by a family whose kids found her on an electric fence. The kids thought they had seen the “the world’s largest pine cone,” only to realize it was an upside-down owl with her feathers puffed up!

When you walk past the owl, it may look like her eyes are following you. Don’t worry; her eyes are not real! Her eyes look like they’re following you because they are made of marbles, which create an optical illusion. In fact, owls can’t move their eyes in their sockets, but they can turn their heads up to 270 degrees. If her eyes were real, they would take up to 50% of the space in her head. If you had eyes like that, they would be the size of oranges!

 Want to learn more about owls? Check out our selection of owl books today!

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