1. Only touch them lightly
2. Don’t grab the owls
3. Don’t feed them.
4. Don’t take pictures with the flash on.
5. Wash your hands
6. Don’t touch their legs and talons.

These rules are important so the owls can stay alive and so they feel like they are safe.  They also need to feel like this is their home.

 

The first owl I saw was a very tiny owl.  This was the owl I liked best. (His name was “Louis Vuitton” and you’ll learn more about him later.)

The experience of having the owl on my hand was great.  When it was on my hand and arm it didn’t even hurt.  It could turn its head all the way around.

Some of the other owls were barn owls — a dark owl and a white owl.

When I had the barn owl on my shoulder, it flew to a far corner of the cafe, so the owner of the cafe had to get it down.  It is good for the owls to fly and move around so they can stretch out their wings and exercise.  For the group photo, I held the black and grey barn owl.

The wings of the owls have very soft feathers on their edges.  The wings don’t make sounds when they fly.  That way the prey can’t hear the owls.  The prey of the owls include mice, snakes and chipmunks and if they can, other types of birds.

When Harmony held the owl for the group photo, it also flew away several times.

 

(Harmony is holding the little guy the Owl Cafe calls”Louis Vuitton.” He is a Sunda Scops Owl native to Asia. He was the oldest of the owls at the cafe.)

When we pet the Owls they would make cute noises:

The Owl Joy liked best was “Louis Vuitton,” a really old owl with big eyes but a tiny body.

 Here is Joy petting “Chanel” a very young Spectacled Owl who is native to South America:

The owl papa liked best was a medium size owl that was black and white.  It even hopped onto his back and climbed onto his shoulder.

 

 (This owl is a Tawny Owl from Belgium named “Tiffany.” Tawny Owls are native to Eurasia. We loved her big eyes and sweet face!)

The owl that mama liked best was the dark barn owl. The pair of barn owls were best friends — they always wanted to be together! (Barn Owls have native habitat on many continents, but the dark Barn Owl variety is more rare than the white barn owl.)

 

But “Armani,” a Rufous-Legged Owl, had been napping for most of our visit. Late he liked to play with my mom’s hair:

The owl that Paula like best was a little owl who had very big orange eyes and his name was Gucci. And when she put Gucci on her head, the owl started to play with her hair and ears and made her laugh. (“Gucci” is a young Northern White Faced Owl. When he is older, the feathers above and around his beak will grow long enough to cover his beak like a mustache or beard! Northern White Faced Owls are native to Sub-Saharan Africa.)

 

There was not a place to make food and drinks in this small cafe, so they just served us bottled water.  We loved our day at the Owl Cafe!