From Hoo's Woods

When you're a 20-year-old spectacled owl and your egg "Makes a break for it".

At Oakley's age she continues to lay an occasional egg guided by instinct. This time, the shell was a bit thin and broke when she attempted incubation.

Spectacled owls are the largest tropical owl species in the world. Native to the rainforests of Central and South America, they are known for their striking facial markings that resemble "spectacles," and their deep, booming calls that echo through the jungle at night.

In the wild, they are solitary and elusive, nesting in tree cavities and feeding on small mammals, reptiles, and large insects. Their powerful talons and stealthy hunting style make them highly skilled.

Oakley has been a longtime education ambassador with us, helping people see owls as intelligent, sensitive birds with complex lives. Even after two decades, she continues to teach about biology, instinct, importance of habitat and fostering a respect for nature. What a beauty!

They only seem to have this one Spectacled Owl, so the egg was unfertilized. Birds will lay eggs without mating if certain biological conditions are right. Hopefully this case is because she's getting fed well and having a stress free life here!

She's an old girl, as Spectacled Owls live to be around 25 in captivity.