Connor’s Journey: From Resident Barking Owl to Batman, with 10 Million TikTok Views

Batman?

The Dark Lord?

Connor the Barking Owl goes by many names.

Learn all about him and watch some awesome footage of his life with us so far.

Reptile Encounters has been around for 18 years, but nothing has propelled us into the spotlight like Connor’s rise to fame on TikTok. His video, created by our talented and hilarious Wildlife Ambassador, Yasmin, hit over 1 million views in just 24 hours!

Some of you might have seen his recent antics, which have taken on a life of their own. If not, head to our TikTok and join the fun.

Connor has always been a star with us, but now he’s captured the hearts of millions of people. So, we decided to give everyone an extra dose of Connor and share some background on his life. 

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and meet the bird who’s raising awareness of barking owls around the world.

Photo by Ryan Creevey

The Early Days

Connor arrived at Reptile Encounters 7 years ago, hatched from a breeding pair at Moonlit Sanctuary. Sadly Barking Owls are Critically Endangered in the wild in Victoria, mostly due to habitat loss, but also secondary poisoning from eating prey full of baits used in pest control. If we don’t change this fast we may see this incredible species become extinct in Victoria before too long.

Learn more about Barking Owls 

Watch baby Connor  examining his surroundings

Connor was curious as a chick, and still is. Watch him examine his new surroundings, swiveling his head to take it all in.

At first, we didn’t know if he was male or female. You can’t tell until they mature, so we called him Connie, after his species name Ninox connivens.

Eventually, we realised he was male, and he became Connor. But the name Connie stuck, and you’ll still hear some of us call him that—especially when human Connor worked here! It got some laughs asking who was feeding “Connor” that day.

Trouble from the start

Connor caused some trouble early on. Neighbours complained about our “dog” that wouldn’t stop barking! He had to live inside for a while until he learned that people aren’t nocturnal—and until the neighbours realised he was an owl.

He still barks at night, adding a bit of ambiance to the urban environment. Listen to his barking in the video—it’s easy to see why people could make that mistake, but hard to be mad at this adorable sound. 

Life as a Carnivore

Watch Connor demanding food in his early days

Being a bird of prey (BOP), Connor’s diet isn’t for the faint hearted. He loves his food, enjoying a diet of rats, mice, and chicks, all prey he’d hunt in the wild.

See what a hangry baby Connor looks like in this video —if you listen carefully you’ll hear Josh’s gentle reminder that his arm isn’t food. 

The sharp beaks and talons are why we wear falconry gloves when handling birds of prey—just ask Nic next time you see him.

Learning to Fly

Watch Connor flexing his baby wings

Like all baby birds, Connor had to learn what his wings were for. What started as clumsy flapping around on the ground turned into stealthy flight before too long. Barking Owls, like most owls, fly silently at night so they can swoop in on unsuspecting prey. Their aerodynamic wing and tail feathers allow air to pass over quietly, while soft fluffy down absorbs sound better than regular birds.

Check out this early footage of Connor flexing his baby wings.

These days, Connor loves to stretch his wings around HQ and in his Owl Mansion. While he usually likes flying from his perch to our staff, he occasionally prefers the view from the rafters where he can look down on us non-flying species below. 

Take a look at his slow-motion flight in the following video—there’s nothing quite like watching those powerful wings at work.

Connor Meets Gigi

In 2021, Connor met Gigi, his barking owl companion. Gigi, from Featherdale Wildlife Park, was just a year old when she moved in. Barking owls mate for life, but we’re not sure if Connor has settled into the friend-zone with Gigi or if there’s something more.

Either way, they’re great companions—despite their heated discussions over mealtime.

They are quite different though. Connor is bold and brave, while Gigi is more reserved. We’ve had to work harder to earn her trust. While Connor is laser-focused on his food, Gigi is constantly scanning like a security camera.

Connor barks – a lot! But Gigi mostly chirps like excited kids playing, or groans like a grumpy grandma.

They’re both incredibly smart, quirky, and amazing, and we’re all so passionate about sharing the love so we can all help protect this species.

A Celebration of Wildlife and Community

Connor’s story is more than just a viral hit—it’s a celebration of the incredible bond between humans and wildlife.

His rise to fame on TikTok has brought a spotlight to the barking owl species and their importance in our ecosystem.  As Connor continues to captivate hearts around the world, we’re excited to share his story and inspire others to appreciate and protect these remarkable creatures.

Together, we can make a difference and ensure that more remarkable creatures like Connor and Gigi have a chance to thrive.

Photo courtesy of Nicholas (Nic) Aitken_2024