J.K. Rowling Chose Hedwig For A Reason

  December 8, 2002 at 10:09 AM ET
      iharrypotter.net
 

National Geographic has a story on Snowy Owls in the December issue (with some really cool pictures).

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0212/feature6

They mention HP at the end of the article in the magazine (not online):

"Harry Potter novelist J.K. Rowling cast a snowy owl as her orphaned hero's courier and companion. That seems perfectly fitting: Swift, strong, beautiful, and dauntless in caring for their young, these winged icons of the Arctic are magically fascinating - to boy wizards and scientists alike."