Sleepy owl found resting among items on a New York antique store shelf

In this photo provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, an owl sleeps on a shelf next to a cookie jar shaped like a chicken at The Market Place antique store in East Durham, N.Y., on Feb. 21, 2026 (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via AP)

Shoppers in upstate New York month turned up a rare find while perusing a local antique store this month: a live owl resting peacefully among items on a shelf. The state Department of Environmental Conservation said Friday that the incident happened on Feb. 21 in East Durham, about 127 miles north of Manhattan. The agency said customers at The Market Place spotted puffy, brown-and-white-colored owl perched with its eyes shut next to a cookie jar made in the shape of a chicken. The officers released the bird into a wooded area, where it flew into a nearby tree.

The Associated Press