An illustrated picture book for an owl enthuasist by Annette Macarthur-Onslow.

In another time and place, we came home from the Saturday markets with an owl. Just like the illustrations, owl would focus on an object and would bob up and down and with gaze still fixed move from side to side and round and round. It looked similar to a Southern Boobook owl.
His food included little gecko lizards we caught on the window screens. In the topics the geckos were usually found running around the walls. These were tiny. ( Just as well. In another place, what sounded like a very loud noisey rooster, on the roof, night or day, was said to be a small lizard.)
We always hoped owl would hunt for geckos and come and go from the perch at will. But no.
He starred in a scene in the local amateur production of Olvier.
The time came for a 'gone finish' sale and we moved away and with concerns Archie went to a new owner.

Perhaps we rushed into buying this quaint pet. Captivity is less than ideal. Although I initially wondered what its fate would be otherwise.  It was clever marketing on the part of a local.