An Owl In Montclair: Students Visited By 'Penny' From Raptor Trust

Montclair, NJ – It’s nice when students learn to give a hoot.

On Feb. 18, the Charles H. Bullock School hosted Penny the Screech Owl and her handler Alyssa Frediani from The Raptor Trust, who treated each class to a presentation on the avian marvels.

Students learned about “the special abilities, sounds, and senses that make owls such awesome nocturnal creatures,” school officials said.

“We’ve learned that owls make different sounds; screech owls trill, snowy owls bark, and great horned owls hoot,” said Beverly Weitzman, Curriculum Support Teacher. “Kindergarteners have identified and come to understand the purpose of owl body parts including eyes, beak, talons, feathers, and wings. Our owl study will continue with a hands-on investigation of owl pellets to discover what owls eat from nature.”

According to school officials, Penny the owl was found in someone’s backyard as a baby 11 years ago.

Unable to fly and catch her own food, she has remained at the Raptor Trust aviary in Millington and is now “an educational bird,” school officials wrote.

Sign up for Patch email newsletters here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo via the Montclair Public School District website