Follow Up On Owl's Attempt To Attack Neighbor And Dog In Park

poster created after Oregon owl attacks

Last month, the Laurelhurst Blog posted about an owl that tried to attack a neighbor and his dog during an evening walk in the Park.

The neighbor wrote:

On Friday, December 15, I was walking my dog at Laurelhurst Park around 8:30pm, when this big owl kept swooping down trying to attack us, mainly my dog.  

It would come inches away and I was swinging at it trying to make it go away while leading my dog back to my car.  

It was a pretty scary experience. I'm just glad my dog is okay. 

I was able to get a picture of it in between attacks. 

 A Laurelhurst Blog reader sent in this information following the post:

I talked with raptor expert, Bud Anderson, who runs the Falcon Research Group.  He said Barred owls are very aggressive and there are now many in the Puget Sound area.  They also seem to attack women with long hair and small dogs.

Other Blog readers commented:

There was a similar problem in Oregon that received the attention of Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.  Her staff were very interested and devised a poster about the taunting owls. Here is a link to one story.  The Salem parks department loved the poster mentioned in the story see above), and received permission to use it.  They also sell smaller copies of it.  Just thought I’d pass this along. 

There are great horned owls in the UW reconstitution prairie area.  I once saw one trying to consume a duck.  And of course they are active once it gets dark. A small dog would be a meal for many days to come. 

Most aggressive behavior from owls (barred owls and great horned owls are the most often reported) is motivated by defense of their territory or young, or their search for handouts.  In winter owls establish territories, build nests, and rear young. During this period, adult birds may engage in belligerent behavior, such as attacking creatures many times their size. In this case, the owls are simply trying to protect their homes, their mates, or their young.  When possible, stay away from nesting areas with aggressive birds until the young are flying (three to four weeks after eggs hatch) and the parents are no longer so protective. If you must walk past a nest, wave your arms slowly overhead to keep the birds at a distance. Other protective actions include wearing a hat or helmet, or carrying an umbrella.