SRD:Giant Owl

=OWL, GIANT=

Giant owls are nocturnal birds of prey, feared for their ability to hunt and attack in near silence. They are intelligent, and though naturally suspicious, sometimes associate with good creatures. A typical giant owl stands about 9 feet tall, has a wingspan of up to 20 feet, and resembles its smaller cousins in nearly every way except size.

Giant owls speak Common and Sylvan.

Combat
A giant owl attacks by gliding silently just a few feet above its prey and plunging to strike when directly overhead.

Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex): A giant owl can see five times as far as a human can in dim light.

Skills: Giant owls have a +8 racial bonus on Listen checks and a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.


 * When in flight, giant owls gain a +8 bonus on Move Silently checks.

TRAINING A GIANT OWL
Although intelligent, a giant owl requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. To be trained, a giant owl must have a friendly attitude toward the trainer (this can be achieved through a successful Diplomacy check). Training a friendly giant owl requires six weeks of work and a DC 25 Handle Animal check. Riding a giant owl requires an exotic saddle. A giant owl can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.

Giant owl eggs are worth 2,500 gp apiece on the open market, while chicks are worth 4,000 gp each. Professional trainers charge 1,000 gp to rear or train a giant owl.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a giant owl is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301–600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601–900 pounds.

See Wikipedia Entry: Owl