ObscUrban Legend Wikia
Owlman

A sketch drawn by June Melling
Background
Type Cryptid
Continent Europe
Country England
One-Time? No
Theories  · Spirit
 · Cryptid
 · Misidentified bird

The Owlman, also known as the Cornish Owlman or the Owlman of Mawnan, is a purported owl-like cryptid that was supposedly sighted around mid-1976 in the village of Mawnan, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is very similar to the famous cryptid Mothman in appearance.

Appearance[]

The creature is described as being humanoid in appearance and standing 6-7 feet tall. It is described as being covered in either feathers or fur, which are silvery-gray or grayish-brown in color. It possesses massive bird-like wings and eyes that glow either red or yellow.

Possible Explanations[]

There are several explanations as to what the creature could be. Theories include:

  • An undiscovered species (a Cryptid)
  • A spirit
  • A misidentified bird

Trivia[]

  • The Owlman story began when paranormal researcher Tony "Doc" Shiels was approached by a man, Don Melling, who had been visiting the area on holiday from Lancaster. Melling said that on April 17, 1976, his two daughters, 12-year-old June and her 9-year-old sister, Vicky, were walking through the woods near Mawnan church when they saw a large winged creature hovering above the church tower. The girls were frightened and immediately ran to tell their father. According to Shiels, the family had become so perturbed by the sighting that they had abandoned their holiday three days early and that the father would not allow either of his daughters to be interviewed. Sheils was, however, provided with a drawing of the creature made by twelve-year-old June.
  • Two months later, on July 3, 14-year-old Sally Chapman was camping with a friend, Barbara Perry, in woods near the church. According to her account, as she stood outside her tent, she heard a hissing sound and turned to see a figure that looked like an owl as big as a man, with pointed ears and red eyes. The girls reported that the creature flew up into the air, revealing black pincer-like claws. Sightings of this figure continued to be reported on the following day (when it was described as "silvery gray") and on two occasions two years later, in June and August 1978, all within the vicinity of the church.
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Cryptids
North American Cryptids
Airborne Frogman · Alkali Lake Monster · Batsquatch · Beast of Bladenboro · Beast of Bray Road · Beast of Busco · Belled Buzzards · Bigfoot · Black Demon · Black Star Penguins · Blue Birdman · Boston Lemur · Buena Vista Giant Spider · Campfire Creature · Carmel Creature · Champ · Charles Mill Lake Monster · Chicago Mothman · Chupacabra · Coonigator · Crawfordsville Monster · Crocodingo · Deer Man · Demon Leaper · Deridder Roadkill · Dos Palmas Winged Snake · Dublin Lake Monsters · East River Monster · El Verde Creature · Enfield Horror · Farmer City Monster · Flannel Shirt Sasquatch · Flying Horse of Mexico · Flying Horse of Virginia · Flying Rays · Giant Penguin · Giant Shrimp in the Laundry Room · Glawackus · Gow-Row · Green Clawed Beast · Green Eyes · Grunch Road Monster · Herrington Lake Monster · Herring Cove Sea Serpent · Highway Beast · Honey Island Swamp Monster · Iliamna Lake Monster · Jackson Dragon · Jersey Devil · Killer Cactus · Kinderhook Blob · Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp · Manor Road Pig-Dog · Man in the Plastic Bag · Mantis Man · Melrose Creep · Metepec Creature · Michigan Dogman · Mill Race Monster · Mogollon Monster · Montauk Monster · Moss Man · Mothman · Mountain Boomers · Mud Mermaids · Mutant Canine · Nightcrawler · Octoman · Ogopogo · Oil Pit Squid · Oklahoma Octopus · Panama Creature · Pennsylvanian Albino Bigfoot · Red Devil-Bat of Chester · Ridge Road Monster · Riverside Monster · Rochester Rat-Dog · Sewer Blob · Sheepsquatch · Skunk Ape · Snallygaster · Sugar Bundle · Sun Birds · Swift Peter · Texas Big Bird · The Awful · Thetis Lake Monster · Tick Canyon Giant Rabbit · Tumor Seal · Tuttle Bottoms Monster · Werewolf of Defiance · Whatzit · Wood Devils · Yellow What-Is-It
South American Cryptids
Arica Monster · Atlantic Ocean Winged Abomination · Beast of Macachín Airport · Brazilian Werewolf · Calama Creature · De Loys' Ape · El Cuero · Gargantuan Globulous · Huallepen · Kap-Dwa · Manta Man · Mapinguari · Minhocão · Parana Creature · Sawtooth Dolphin · Telepathic Football · Tshenkutshen
Asian Cryptids
Ahool · Buru · Con Rit · Ebu Gogo · Gilled Antelope · Hibagon · Inflatable Hedgehog · Iranian Toothed Bird · Issie · Jodhpur Baby · Kting Voar · Kussie · Maltese Tiger · Man Dragon · Masbate Monster · Minho−Taro · Mussie of Kako River · Orang Bati · Orang Mawas · Orang Pendek · Rock Apes · Sakhalin Island Sea Wolf · Sukotyro · Tsuchinoko · Wuhnan Toads · Yeren · Yeti
European Cryptids
Awd Goggie · Beast of Bodmin Moor · Beast of Bosnia · Beast of Dean · Beast of Gévaudan · Beast Of Tenby · Black Bird of Chernobyl · Boneless · Canvey Island Monster · Catalonia Fallen Angel · Chudinov Organisms · Crimean War Monstrosities · Exmoor Beast · Freiburg Shrieker · Flying Worm of Prague · Gnome of Girona · Grampus · Grass Monster · Grecian Dolphin · Highway Humanoid · Hollingworth Lake Monster · Kovahsi Creature · Loch Ness Monster · Morag · Octosquatch · Owlman · Pennine Pterodactyl · River Thames Monster · Sea Monk · Sewer Humanoid · Shug Monkey · Singing Spiders of Paris · Sussex Serpent · Vampire Caterpillar · Werewolf of Camberwell · Wolfie · 1856 French Pterodactyl
African Cryptids
Agogwe · Ambize · Dingonek · Emela-ntouka · Ennedi Tiger · J'ba Fofi · Kongamato · Manatee of Helena · Mbielu-mbielu-mbielu · Mokele-Mbembe · Mutant Muppet · Ngoubou · Olitiau · Spiny-backed Chimpanzee · Trunko
Australian Cryptids
Bunyip · Burrunjor · Elephantman · Hairy Lizard · Hook Island Sea Monster · Landsborough Gangle · Moha Moha · Pukehina Predator · Queensland Tiger · Tusked Yowie
Miscellaneous Cryptids
Antarctic Godzilla · Bermuda Beast · Giglioli's Whale · Kabagon · Ningen · Qupqugiaq · Rhinoceros Dolphin · Sky Jellyfish · Sky Serpents
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Europe
European Cryptids
Awd Goggie · Beast of Bodmin Moor · Beast of Bosnia · Beast of Dean · Beast of Gévaudan · Beast Of Tenby · Black Bird of Chernobyl · Boneless · Brosno Dragon · Canvey Island Monster · Catalonia Fallen Angel · Chudinov Organisms · Crimean War Monstrosities · Exmoor Beast · Freiburg Shrieker · Flying Worm of Prague · Gnome of Girona · Grampus · Grass Monster · Grecian Dolphin · Highway Humanoid · Hollingworth Lake Monster · Kovahsi Creature · Loch Ness Monster · Morag · Octosquatch · Owlman · Pennine Pterodactyl · River Thames Monster · Sea Monk · Sewer Humanoid · Shug Monkey · Singing Spiders of Paris · Sussex Serpent · Vampire Caterpillar · Werewolf of Camberwell · Wolfie · 1856 French Pterodactyl
European Alien Sightings
Alien Octopoids · Badajoz UFO Creature · Bat Beast of Kent · Bird Beasts of Var · Conil Aliens · Crimean Slug · Cumberland Spaceman · Cussac Aliens · Domsten Blobs · Felixstowe Fire Demon · Ilkley Moor Alien · Kinnula Humanoid · Pendeli Egg · The Sandown Clown · Scottish Mines · The Silver Man · Villa Santina Aliens · Voronezh Aliens · Zanfretta's Aliens
European UFO Sightings
Berkshire UFO · Crucifix UFO · Plague-Bearing UFO · Rendlesham Forest Incident
European Hauntings
Ancient Ram Inn · Berkeley Square Horror · Black Shuck · Borley Rectory · Brown Lady of Raynham Hall · Cock Lane Ghost · Deogen · Derbyshire Ghost Plane · Drummer of Tedworth · Elemental of Leap Castle · Enfield Poltergeist · Gef the Talking Mongoose · Ghost Roman Soldiers in York · Glamis Castle · Hairy Hands · Houska Castle · Pupa the Doll · Rosslynlee Hospital · Specter of Newby Church
European Phenomena
Angels of Mons · Bélmez Faces · Black Volga · Busby Stoop Chair · Devil's Footprints · Eyes in the Wall · Hessdalen Lights · Hungry Grass · Invisible Crowd · Kitty Jay's Grave · Martebo Light · Rosenheim Poltergeist · The Crying Boy · The Green Hand · Trevor Silverwood Postcards · Wall-Jumping Dog · Zanetti Ghost Train
European Beings
Green Children of Woolpit · Headless Angel of Portugal · Highgate Vampire · Invisible Smoker · Jophar Vorin · Le Loyon · Lucy Lightfoot · The Manchester Pusher · Pérák · Ratman · Spring-heeled Jack · Whipping Tom
European Events
Dancing Plague of 1518 · Disappearance of James Worson · Hollinwell Incident · Moberly–Jourdain Incident
European Locations
Cannock Chase · Flannan Isles Lighthouse · Hoia Forest · Poveglia

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