Shedd Aquarium Introduces Beni the Spectacled Owl, Bringing Guests Eye-to-Eye with the Amazon Rainforest

Shedd Aquarium is introducing its newest resident, a male spectacled owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) named Beni. While guests might not expect to see a bird at an aquarium, Beni helps guests understand how water connects and sustains every ecosystem in the world.

Beni was born at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle as part of a Species Survival Plan within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. After arriving at Shedd in July, Beni was the winning name voted on by Shedd staff and represents the Beni River in Bolivia, where spectacled owls are found. The 10-month-old owl lives behind the scenes at Shedd alongside other public engagement animals who encounter guests at animal chats, surprise-and-delight experiences and educational programming across the aquarium, in classrooms and in communities.

“Spectacled owls play important roles in aquatic ecosystems, living and hunting near bodies of water,” said Katie Majerowski, manager of animal engagement. “When guests look into the eyes of a curious, fascinating bird like Beni, it sparks a connection with wildlife that can last a lifetime, which we hope will inspire our guests to protect the water that we all depend on.”

Spectacled owls are one of only a few owl species known to permanently inhabit the Amazon River Basin. The species gets its name from the patterns of feathers around its eyes that make spectacled owls look like they’re wearing glasses. Although spectacled owls are found in the dense forests of South America, other birds of prey like great horned owls and red-tailed hawks live in the Midwest and also rely on healthy aquatic ecosystems.

“Our everyday choices directly affect the water and environment around us,” said Majerowski. “To protect birds of prey like Beni and their habitats, we encourage guests to take action for animals through responsible ecotourism, reducing plastic use, volunteer opportunities with Shedd and more.”

Behind the scenes, Beni has been acclimating to his new habitat and participating in training and enrichment sessions with his animal caretakers. Eventually, guests might spot Beni at pop-up experiences or after-hours events at Shedd. Guests can also come eye-to-eye with dozens of other species native to the Amazon River Basin such as arapaima, electric eels and poison dart frogs in Shedd's reimagined Amazon Rising exhibit.

VISUALS: Find high-resolution photos and broadcast quality video here: https://personal.filesanywhere.com/guest/fs?v=8e71628d595e76ab9f6b&C=50

Photo Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Rachel Mittelstaedt

Video Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Samuel RC Elia