Legend of "Lechuza" Possibly Seen In Carrizo Springs
Story Created: Jul 12, 2012 at 10:16 PM CDT


The legend of the "Lechuza" has been told in this area for years.
Now, a recent picture has sparked a discussion about whether the picture is real.
The picture believed to have been taken in Carrizo Springs shows two men holding a white owl with a very large wing span.
Our Lauren Kendrick has more in our top story.
The picture has definitely got people interested whether or not they believe in the myth.
We spoke to one of the owners of Petland who tells us this picture has her baffled when it comes to classifying the type of owl.
"I think people would like to believe it's real just like they'd like to believe big foot's real and the loch ness monster and all the other creatures."
Owner of Petland Laredo, Laura Hatton, gives us her take on the picture that's been circulating social networking sites for the past few days.
The picture was taken in Carrizo Springs.



Many people are calling the big white bird "Lechuza" from the urban legend commonly told in the Mexican heritage where the spirit of a woman or a witch turns into an owl.
"Those wives tales are there for a reason. They are a legend. Perhaps there at one time was a much larger species of an owl that was here."
Hatton says it looks like a barn owl but is way too large. She says it's really hard to determine the exact species by the undercarriage. By looking at the picture, she says it's hard to tell if it is indeed real or fake.
"The head is really out of focus so it makes you wonder about photo shop. But the wings itself look like a barn owl."
“Whether people believe in the legend or not, people have been sounding off on Facebook so we decided to go out on the streets and see what people had to say about the owl"
One thing Hatton says doesn't add up is the size of the bird.
"The size doesn't make any sense for the species of an owl because even the largest...a great horned owl doesn't look anything like it and it's still way smaller."
Just like other legends in south Texas like the chupacabra, there's no way of telling if this is a real "Lechuza" or not.
"I think they'd like it to be the "Lechuza" because I find the culture here to be full of mysticism and people enjoy it."

Un volatile de cette taille doit peser un poids certain.
Or les 2 personnes le tiennent à bout de bras, par la/les dernieres plumes sans sembler forcer un minimum.

Size: Female: Length 34-40cm (13.5-15.5") Wingspan 110cm (43") Weight 570g (20oz)
Male: Length 32-38cm (12.5-15") Wingspan 107cm (42") Weight 470g (15.5oz)