2 1/2 Year Old Afraid of Owls?

It's okay. Don't worry about it. He'll get through it.

If it hadn't been the owl, it would have been something else.

Kids have to work out fears, and they pick wierd ways to do it. My older son was afraid of the octopus in a really adorable book. He loved, loved the story. But when I bought an octopus puppet along with some other puppets and did a puppet show of the story, he freaked out over the octopus.

Don't continue to talk about the owl. You'll just make it worse. If you can, play some music for him as you put him to bed. That might help him to forget.

Sorry...not clicking on that link. Especially since you have NEVER asked a question on this board.
Makes me think you are just trying to get people to click on something. PLUS...no where in that link does it say "owl" or "toy" or anything.

And IF this is real.....just don't get any more stuffed owls in your house.

So how difficult is it to avoid owls?
This reminds me of an old vaudeville routine.
Guy goes to a doctor and says "Doctor! Doctor! It hurts when I do that!".
Doctor says "Well, then - don't do that.".
Ba dum bum (drum riff).

Especially at around 2 ish kids imaginations are going full tilt and they don't stop at night.
It's when they start developing nightmares - and they will often come to you in the middle of the night totally scared of something/anything - and sometimes the fright carries over into waking hours and sometimes not.
Now is the time for monster spray, night lights, checking for monsters under the bed or in the closet, etc.

Don't mention anything about owls to him and if he brings it up tell him it's all gone now and you won't let any near him anymore.
He'll out grow it eventually (might take a few years) but until he's over it - avoid owls.

No one is going to click on your link, most especially as a first time poster because that raises red flags about your motive for being here.

I don't understand a sudden fear like that and suspect this post.

Redirect the child's attention to something else, stay away from owls just in case it's real. At 2 1/2 you can reason with him. Maybe he'll move past it soon.

ETA - Based on your SWH, maybe stay in the room a little longer as he falls asleep. Your presence helps him feels safe. Also, closing the door might reallt be freaking him out, like he's trapped. I would definitely stop closing the door.

Original Answer - I would try distracting him with a book or a song. You could also put some water in a spray bottle and mark it "Owl Spray." Spray the room at bedtime so he know it will keep owls away.

I think this is likely the same thing as some kids being scared of monsters at night. He's at an age where his imagination is working ha d, especially at bedtime.

The more attention you give to a fear, the more the child thinks it is a big deal. Just keep that in mind.
I used to just make bed time more fun - if they were having worries at bedtime. Maybe give him a new stuffy he really loves and keep it with him at bedtime. Say "Owls all gone, look at (new Teddy). He's here with you to snuggle with.".
Hope this is legit. Not sure why you'd need us to look at a toy. We take your word for it.

Around this age, their brains are developing by leaps and bounds, as is their imagination, their understanding of words like "afraid", and so many other complicated intangible concepts.

My dd developed a sudden fear of a little blue elephant that was part of a bath set (I think it was a cute little Noah's Ark toy). She loved the toy boat and all the animals but one day at bath time the elephant made her scream to the point where bath time was misery. And there were no elephant encounters or anything else. She was about the same age your son is at the time.

Don't try to work on his developing a tolerance for owls, or on getting rid of that fear. It's really not about owls. My dd's problem was really not about blue elephants. It's about learning to feel safe. So you can read books about owls till you're hoarse, or take him to see owls at the zoo, but that's not the issue. What his brain did was develop that fear instinct, and it happened to be when he saw an owl. So now, work on a secure feeling, and the power he can learn to develop. He can have a little flashlight near his bed that he can turn on and off by himself (a child safe one). He can pick out a nightlight that he likes (take him to a big department store and let him choose), and he can be the one in charge of turning it on at night and off in the morning. You can spray a soft cloth with a little tiny bit of perfume or a soothing scent like vanilla extract, and you can put the cloth under his pillow so he can smell it when he feels anxious (use the scent very sparingly, and make the cloth soft like silk or something nice to touch). And most of all, don't talk about fear, or owls. Talk instead about how mom (and any other parent or adult who lives in the home) always make sure the family is safe, how you're happy to lie down at night and relax, and continue with a nice bedtime routine. Don't overdo it. 3 stories, 5 songs and a lot of prayers actually might be providing him with too much time to think. He might be picking up on the fact that you're trying to put off the scary time. Relax, create a soothing routine, and show no fear or hesitation when you say good night. Leave the door open a little if necessary.

This phase will pass!

I'm sorry about the link thing, if you type in bright starts blue owl, you will find the picture of the owl, its the one with green ring.

It's a normal phase that kids go through; he'll eventually get over it. My 2.5 year old is going through the same thing right now and my daughter went through this when she was around this age. Don't make a big deal of it. He will likely develop fear of other things in the next few months. Acknowledge his feelings and remove whatever it is that he's afraid of and remember that it's just a phase