Harry Potter owl flies 1,000km to settle in Burren

A rare snowy owl, the arctic birds popularised by the Harry Potter films, has set up home in the Burren, more than 1,000km from it usual habitat.

It is only the third sighting in more than 100 years in Co Clare, and the first time one has made the county its home.

Wild snowy owls have become popular in private collections since the appearance of ‘Hedwig’ in the Harry Potter films. A young snowy owl could command in excess of €10,000 on the black market.