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Owl Goes For A Swim In Lake Michigan

An owl, identified as a great horned owl, was forced to do a breaststroke in Lake Michigan after two falcons reportedly chased it there.
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Owls. Vicious nighttime hunters. We know. We all had to dissect an owl pellet in biology class. Yuck.

One thing we didn’t learn in class, though, is that they’re avid swimmers. OK, maybe just this one.

*Owl swimming in water* 

That was at Lake Michigan at Loyola Park Beach in Chicago.

According to the YouTube video description, the owl, identified as a great horned owl, was forced into the water by a pair of falcons.

So, what else is an owl gonna do? Breastroke, obviously.

But Earth Touch says calling it a “swim” would be incorrect because owls don’t just go for dips in lakes for fun. This guy was definitely in distress.

[Owls’] feathers are actually less water-resistant than those of many other birds – so although they can swim when forced to, it’s not something they would ever choose to do voluntarily."

Bird rescue was reportedly called, but the owl flew away before anyone arrived.

This video includes music from Broke For Free / CC BY 3.0.