A local Brownie troop proved that they really “give a hoot” about one of the Audubon Center’s shyest but most popular residents as they donated $200 to help take care of a barred owl.

Along with a jet black raven, the owl living near the entrance to the Massabesic Audubon Center is one of the center’s star attractions, said volunteer coordinator Allison Dixon. For the next year, the owl’s meals of mice and chicken will be provided through the generosity of Brownie Troop 001, a team of 13 girls from Auburn who chose to donate their hardearned cookie money to the popular but somewhat reticent bird.

Brownie Madison Smith, 9, said it was a very close vote when it came down to deciding between “adopting” the owl or the raven, but the owl edged out the raven with a narrow 7-6 vote.

“I like owls. They can even turn their heads almost all the way around,” she said. “I went to an Audubon camp last summer, and I’d look at the owl almost every time I went in. But I actually voted for the raven. But I’m still glad it went to the owl.”

During the past three years, Troop 001, led by Michelle Demirjian and Madison’s mother, Kimberly Smith, has also raised and donated $700 to the Griffin Public Library.

Regarding the owl, Dixon said the unnamed creature is apparently a female, and she tends to be very private, despite the fact that most people want to take a look at her as they tour the center. The bird came to the center after being injured several years ago, and she was eventually rehabilitated by ornithologist Maria Colby at the Wings of Dawn facility in Henniker.

Although the bird is no longer in the wild, Dixon said captivity at the center is probably the only way for the owl to survive because its injured wing prevents it from flying. On its own, it would probably never be able to get food on its own, which makes the troop’s donation an especially meaningful one for the owl.

“We’re very thrilled because it’s an expensive venture to keep the birds fed,” Dixon said.

Dixon said the barred owl is native to New Hampshire, and is known for its distinctive call which is said to sound like “Who cooks for you?” While many children’s stories, including the Harry Potter series of books, have created new interest in owls among children, Dixon emphasized that the animals belong in the wild and do not make good pets.

Even the center’s owl tends to avoid people when it can, she said. “She gets upset and stressed when a lot of people go up to her cage, and it’s something we have to be very careful about,” she said. “When she clicks her beak, that’s a sign to get away.”

Madison said her troop has already decided that the raven will be the recipient of their fundraising efforts next year.