Harry Potter’s snowy owl is named Hedwig. Harry receives Hedwig as a birthday present from Hagrid before leaving for Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Hedwig serves as Harry’s messenger and companion throughout much of the series. Owls in the wizarding world deliver letters and packages, allowing characters to communicate without telephones or ordinary postal services. Hedwig’s white feathers also make the owl visually distinctive in both the books and films.
Several other animal names are commonly mixed up with Hedwig. Errol is the Weasley family’s older owl, while Crookshanks is Hermione Granger’s cat and Scabbers is Ron Weasley’s rat. In the story, Hedwig dies while protecting Harry during the escape from Privet Drive in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, making the owl’s role important beyond simple message delivery.