貓頭鷹 / Owls

貓頭鷹對於北海道原住民阿伊努族來說是神聖的生物。特別是島梟（Blakiston's fish owl，毛腿魚鴞）只棲息在北海道和俄羅斯部分地區，是瀕臨絕種的貴重貓頭鷹。島梟是世界上最大的貓頭鷹，翅膀展開可達到3公尺。此外，棲息在北海道各地最常見的是蝦夷貓頭鷹。現今在日本作為可以帶來好運的鳥而受到歡迎。

Owls, or fukurou in Japanese, are recognized as sacred creatures by the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido. Shima fukurou, or Blakiston’s fish owl, is particularly important for Ainu. It lives only in Hokkaido and a part of the Eurasian Continent. It's one of the biggest owls with a wingspan reaching three meters As it faces extinction, it’s registered in the Red-data Book. . Ezo fukurou is a common owl living in almost all parts of Hokkaido. In Japan, owls are regarded as a lucky icon. They're used as the motif of characters for souvenirs.