The owls of Latvia is one of the zoo’s most interesting bird exhibits. Here one not only can see the commonest species, like the Tawny Owl, Ural Owl and Long-eared Owl, but also less commonly found and less known species, like the Boreal Owl, Eurasian Eagle-owl and Snowy Owl.

Owl cages are built so that the birds feel good and demonstrate their natural behaviour. The soil allows Eagle-owls to scrape the ground to make little shallow pits that serve as nests, but the dense fir growth and shrub, as well as the log walls, hide the owls even from the zoo personnel. Likewise, visitors have to be very patient and attentive to be able to see all the animals in this exhibition. Of course, the easiest to notice is the biggest owl in Latvia – the Eagle-owl. Snowy Owls also stand out on the modest vegetation and a pile of rocks imitating the tundra landscape.

Baby owls and humans

Keep in mind!

Baby owls are not abandoned by their mothers; you should not bring them home or to the zoo!

If you happen to find a fluffy baby owl, do not touch it and leave the place as fast as possible.

People quite frequently bring to the zoo baby owls that have been accidentally found on the ground; however, this “rescue” does more harm than good. Because of mere ignorance, people carry baby owls away from their native place and parents; thus, forbidding them life in the wild. Human-fed birds are unlikely to readapt to their natural environment.

Baby owls are not as helpless as people may think. When they leave their nest, they are still fluffy and sometimes are barely able to fly. During the day, seemingly helpless baby owls perch in the branches or hide on the ground, waiting for dusk. The parents of the little owls know the location of their offspring and, responding to their call, keep feeding them at least a month after their leaving the nest. In Riga and other places Tawny Owl babies already leave their nest in February and March.