Victoria Justice Gets Surprise Owl Encounter At LI Nature Center

SMITHTOWN, NY — Actress and singer Victoria Justice made an unexpected visit to a Long Island nature center, where one of its feathered residents apparently became particularly interested in her singing voice.

Justice visited Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown on Sept. 12 after a friend surprised her with an owl encounter, Janine Bendicksen, the center's director of wildlife rehabilitation, told Patch.

"It was a present from her friend," Bendicksen said. "He surprised her with an owl encounter."

Her friend researched places for the experience.

"He did a deep dive and found Sweetbriar," Bendicksen said.

Justice, known for starring in Nickelodeon's "Victorious," visited the center with her friend and sister. The group came from Los Angeles and made Sweetbriar part of their visit to New York, Bendicksen said.

The Sweetbriar staff member who conducted the owl encounter recognized Justice, Bendicksen said.

Even after learning who their visitor was, Bendicksen said she wanted Justice and her group to be able to enjoy the experience without having cameras constantly pointed at them.

She recorded just one video from the visit — and it captured an interaction that quickly became a hit on Sweetbriar's social media.

During the tour, Justice held Little Blue, one of the center's blue jays, on her hand and began singing to the bird.

The blue jay became quiet as Justice sang, Bendicksen said. But another Sweetbriar resident apparently wanted some attention.

Newton, a screech owl, began repeatedly calling from nearby.

"The blue jay got all quiet, and then Newton was like, 'But what about me? But what about me?'" Bendicksen said.

Video of the encounter shows Justice singing as Little Blue sits on her hand before Newton's calls draw her attention.

Sweetbriar later joked on Facebook that Newton had gotten the rare opportunity to sing a duet with a celebrity.

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Newton has already developed a following of his own, Bendicksen said.

"He is like a little bit of an internet sensation that everybody loves him," she said.

For Bendicksen, though, one of the biggest impressions Justice left had little to do with celebrity.

"She truly was a very down-to-earth person," Bendicksen said.

And the fact that a visitor from across the country found Sweetbriar was another reminder of the reach the Smithtown nature center has developed, she said.

"We're very fortunate to have such a great presence out there," Bendicksen said.