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A brand-new exhibit that puts Saskatchewan’s owls front and centre is taking flight at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina.
The display features the 14 owl species found across the province, giving visitors an up-close look at birds that are often heard, but rarely seen. From tiny hunters to large predators, the exhibit explores the diversity of Saskatchewan’s owls.
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Brie Hnetka, the museum’s executive director, said the exhibit is meant to help visitors better understand just how common and how varied the birds really are.
“It showcases 14 of 16 owls that are in Canada,” Hnetka said.
Inside the exhibit, Hnetka said guests can explore the different types of owls, listen to recorded owl calls and learn fun facts about each species through interactive displays and video features.
She said owls were a natural choice for a feature exhibit because of their presence in everyday life.
“We see owls quite often in Saskatchewan, and so we thought it would be a really good topic to kind of delve into, give people more of an understanding of the different types of owls in Saskatchewan,” she explained.
“We have really big owls, like the snowy owl… and then we have the pygmy owl, which is teeny tiny, like the size of probably smaller than ground squirrels.”
Beyond the exhibit itself, Hnetka said the museum is rolling out an entire season of owl-themed programming designed to keep visitors coming back all summer long.
Activities include scavenger hunts, trivia shows, craft stations, owl sound challenges and even owl pellet dissections. Special programming carts will also explore topics like owls in Indigenous culture and the diets of different species.
Hnetka said the idea is to always have something new to offer guests.
“People can come back many times throughout the summer and experience something different,” she said.
Hnetka said the museum’s summer lineup also includes some special events, with a public kickoff happening from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday.
“On Saturday, the Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre is going to be coming and bringing live burring owls, so it’ll be a great day for people to come and kick off our owl summer,” she said.
Hnetka said the museum will be holding an owl night market on August 6, giving families another chance to see the burrowing owls while exploring offerings from a number of local vendors. She said the event will also feature owl trivia, crafts and an owl lab.
The exhibit is now open at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
