Owl visits KXAN studio. Could it be an omen, or is it looking for love? Maybe both
An owl briefly visited the studio early Thursday, landing in front of our KXAN Weather Cam on top of the building before flying away after about 15 minutes.
Though owls are not uncommon sightings in Central Texas, it's not every day that we see anything beyond the visual weather conditions over downtown Austin through that camera's view.
According to the Travis Audubon, Austin is home to three common owl species — Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl and Eastern Screech-Owl.
RELATED | November bird forecast: Do owls live in Austin?
Austin has become well-acquainted with one owl in particular — Athena the Owl, a Great Horned Owl who lives and nests over at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She returned to her nest earlier this month for the 13th year in a row.
Athena and her mate have nested at the center for more than a decade, with her nestling into a space above the wildflower center's courtyard entrance. The center partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to set up an owl camera feed that can be viewed on the wildflower center's YouTube page.
Athena the Owl nesting at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for 13th year
We think our Weather Cam Owl could have been another Great Horned, based on descriptions from the Travis Audubon, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department described the Great Horned Owl as the largest species of owl in the state, and according to the Texas Breeding Bird Atlas from Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the Great Horned Owl is currently at the peak of its breeding season, which extends from December to late July.
The atlas recorded nests with eggs between March 20 and May 21 and nests with young between January 31 and June 10.
Could our visitor have been some kind of omen? Owls are often associated with different myths and fascinations in various cultures. The nocturnal bird of prey is perhaps most well-known for its ties to Greek mythology, in which it is the symbol of Athena — the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and handicrafts, per Britannica.
Owls are also nocturnal creatures, so maybe it was simply telling us we work too early in the day…
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