An owl flew into a 10th story apartment in Coeur d'Alene, apparently opened a bird cage, and killed one of two canaries inside. Sue Sausser says she awakened Sunday to find bird droppings and feathers all over her apartment, the Coeur d'AlenePress reports. Sausser found the brownish, yellow-eyed owl between the wall and the chest of drawers on which the bird cage sits. It flew out the door and perched on their balcony railing long enough for them to take a few pictures. Don Sausser estimates the owl was 6 to 8 inches tall.
Sue and Don Sausser found one of their canaries dead in the cage. The other seemed jumpy and anxious, they say. An Idaho state wildlife expert says it's strange that an owl would be flying so high in an area without many tall trees and surprising that it would enter a residence, much less open a bird cage. "That is very unusual," she adds. Don Sausser said they'll likely still leave their sliding glass door open on warm summer evenings, but plan to use twist ties to secure the door on the bird cage. (More animals stories.)