Sleepy Owl Discovered Resting On Shelf Inside New York Antique Store

March 3, 2026

Customers browsing a small antique shop in Durham got more than they bargained for earlier this month — and it wasn’t vintage china.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the surprising discovery happened on February 21 in the hamlet of East Durham, about 127 miles north of Manhattan. Shoppers inside The Market Place noticed what they described as “something extremely lifelike” sitting quietly on a shelf.

Tucked beside a chicken-shaped cookie jar was a very real, very alive owl.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

When environmental conservation police officers arrived, they found a brown-and-white owl perched peacefully with its eyes firmly shut — apparently enjoying an uninterrupted nap among the antiques.

Officers gently cradled the sleeping bird and carefully removed it from the store. They later released it into a wooded area nearby, where it flew off and settled into a tree.

The unexpected visitor turned out to be an eastern screech owl, a nocturnal species that typically nests in tree cavities. How it managed to make its way inside the store remains a mystery.

For a brief moment, though, this little owl turned an ordinary shopping trip into a story no one there will ever forget.