Moments after posting about this owl, an email promoting a course about owls appeared in my inbox. Owls have been considered harbingers in different folk and mythic traditions, none of which I subscribe to. A harbinger event on the computer is now most likely an algorithmic event, where one thing triggered another on purpose. Normally I find those intrusive, at best. But, I get emails from the Lab of Ornithology frequently and this one came a few days after the news of the owl in Central Park. Did they put together this course and promo after seeing the publicity that the Central Park owl was getting? If so, bravo. Quick reaction. Well communicated. Watch the brief video that came in the email and tell me you have no interest:

As creatures of the night, owls can seem mysterious and kind of spooky. Some people think of them as bad omens, harbingers of death. But they can also be symbols of knowledge and wisdom.

Owls have fascinated people for millennia. Everyone knows what an owl is, even if you haven’t actually seen one in real life. They’re instantly recognizable, with their large, round heads, flat faces, and forward staring eyes. We seem to be drawn to them because they resemble people. They’re definitely birds, but they also kind of look like us…

Some people are interested in learning more about birds, others are not, but this lesson plan sounds like a good one for starters:

Lesson 1: What Makes an Owl an Owl
Learn what distinguishes owls from other birds and about their diversity. Find out which owls are the biggest, smallest, and most unusual.

Lesson 2: How Owls Rule the Night
With keen eyesight, exceptional 3D hearing, powerful talons, and specialized feathers for silent flight, owls are hunting machines. Learn how they put it all together to catch their prey.

Lesson 3: The Life of an Owl
Demystify owls by learning about their family life, migrations, hunting behaviors, and diets. Some food choices might surprise you!

Lesson 4: Listening for Owls
Get to know owls by their distinctive calls and learn how they use sound to communicate. Then, see if you can tell what’s an owl and what’s not with our interactive learning tools.

Lesson 5: Finding and Connecting with Owls

Discover tips for how to find owls, marvel at the many ways people have depicted owls through the ages, and learn what we can do to protect them.

Read the entire course description here.