Hoot

"Mario, lay off the pasta!"

- Hoot the Owl

Hoot the Owl is a nocturnal owl who sleeps in a tree near Whomp's Fortress in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. When Mario climbs into his tree, Hoot will offer to give Mario a ride to the top of the fortress. He later appears at Tall Tall Mountain. He also appears as an unlucky gambler in Mario Party Advance.

When Mario hangs on to Hoot too long, he drops Mario, and tells him "Mario, lay off the pasta!"

Hoot is very similar to the Heavy Zeds from Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins and the generically-named owls of Wario Land II and 3 in that all these characters are sleeping owls who will help the game's protagonist when awoken, and finally background owls in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS which only make sounds.