Last Friday brought an unexpected moment of excitement for the Elif kids.
In the small green area behind Coquelicot, where they often spend time playing, two owls were found perched together on the branch of an almendro tree. It was the kind of surprise no one was expecting during an ordinary day in Town.
The encounter quickly caught the attention of both children and adults. For many who stopped to look, it was their first time seeing owls in real life, which made the moment feel even more special. The birds remained calmly in place, watching the movement around them with their bright yellow eyes.
The species is known as the Pacific Screech-Owl (Megascops cooperi), a medium-sized owl found throughout parts of Central America. In Costa Rica, it is mainly found along the North Pacific coast. Pacific Screech-Owls are mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, which means they are most active at night and around twilight. During the day, they usually stay hidden in tree cavities, dense vegetation, or shaded perches, relying on their grayish, mottled plumage to blend into the bark around them. They feed mainly on large insects and other small prey, including arthropods and occasionally small vertebrates.
One of the most fascinating parts of the encounter was watching how the two owls followed people with their gaze. At times, they seemed to move almost in unison, likely because they were tracking the same movement or sound nearby. Owls often move their entire heads to look around, judge distance, and understand what is happening around them, since their eyes are fixed in place and do not move like human eyes. The result was striking: two still, camouflaged birds turning together from their perch, quietly aware of everything happening below.
Everyone who saw them kept a respectful distance, allowing the owls to stay calm. They were seen first during the morning, but even later in the afternoon, they were still perched there, continuing their unexpected visit behind Coquelicot.
If you missed the moment, we hope these photos make up for it with a closer look at our two feathered visitors.
