Eagle Owl
© YouTube screengrabAn eagle owl lands on the head of a Dutch woman.
A friendly and precise Eurasian Eagle-owl is catching the fancy of bird lovers in the Netherlands as it routinely lands on people's heads.

The owl was first filmed landing on the head of Marianne in Noordeinde. Her husband captured the whole event, with the huge owl swooping down on her.

Marianne had the foresight to put up her hood and the owl perched on her head for about 30 seconds before flying off.

From the couple's YouTube page: "Tonight I went to the Eagle Owl in Noordeinde while shooting landed the Eagle Owl with Marianne on the head. The dear animal is totally not aggressive and it was a super experience for Marianne as an animal lover."


The Eurasian Eagle-owl is one of the largest in the world, measuring up to 2 1/2 feet long and weighing as much as 9 pounds. With its bright orange eyes and feathery ear tufts, it's a very striking bird, even when it's not perched on someone's head.

It's not clear why the apparently tame owl has taken to head-sitting, but some Noordeinde residents speculate that it escaped from a aviary in a nearby town, according to the NL Times.

This YouTube video highlights the couple who shot the viral video; they're celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, apparently. Gefeliciteerd!