For owls that are superb.
Photo by Paul Lally
A juvenile great horned owl is captured dangling in an awkward position after crash-landing high in a small grove of aspen trees. Apparently the ability to fly precedes any skill at landing in the early stages of their development. Somehow I manged to get off just one shot of this most unusual moment, before it flew off to try again.
From the Owl Rescue Centre
From tiny tot to a big sugar dumpling. We rescued Lakshmi in September last year when she was around five weeks old, she was then soft released on the sanctuary a couple of months later. From the photos you can see how she has transformed into a magnificent young lady. All we need now is for her to find a young man, of which there are a couple of candidates living here.
Current picture, as of July 2024
A nice flying shot of a Hawk Owl. Most photos I see of them, there just hanging out on a porch, so this is a fun shot to have come across.
Photo by Mike Cohen
Along our way from Fairbanks to Deadhorse Alaska we stayed a couple of nights at Wiseman, a nice halfway point, south of the Brooks Mountain Range in a boreal forest near the Yukon River. We were lucky and spotted a Northern Hawk Owl in a typical perch for this species, adorning the top of a spruce tree near the road. Hawk Owls are very tolerant and this one did not mind us running up and down the road as it changed from one perch to another. It looked beautiful when positioned before the green of the forest. Here it is in a dive, presumably for prey, but which did not end in a meal this time.
Photos from the Center for Wildlife
If you happen to visit us here at Center for Wildlife this week, you may notice we have a new resident in town! This beautiful Northern Saw-Whet Owl who remains unnamed (don't worry, an official name is soon to come) just moved into our Ambassador Village and is joining us as a member of our resident ambassador team!
This little survivor has come a long way after being hit by a car in late 2023. She was initially taken in and cared for by our friends at Avian Haven before being transferred to us for continued care. She has overcome almost complete paralysis in her legs to the point where she is now able to perch and move around a specialized enclosure built just for her. Northern Saw-Whet owls are our smallest owl species here in the state of Maine and no species better embodies the 'small but mighty' personality better! Our team looks forward to giving this little lady the most possible care in the world during her time in sanctuary with us.
Photo by Ryan Burg
A highly curious juvenile barred owl wanted to experience the world beyond the woods. I watched, somewhat bewildered, as this owlet and one of its siblings made their way to the very edge of this forest next to a parking lot. Once perched, they shrieked and bobbed their heads, highly focused on the paved surface below them. I couldn't understand why, but it was pretty clear they wanted to fly to the ground, so I slowly laid down on my stomach and waited. After about five minutes of getting tortured by the mosquitos, sure enough one of the two descended from its perch and proceeded to jump around/ make these little hopping motions on the pavement. After realizing that pavement is very hard and not nearly as fun as expected, it jumped onto this curb, threw me a quick glance and disappeared back into the woods. Your guess is as good as mine!
MSN hosted a random article on the Stygian Owl, though it is formatted pretty crappy and written blandly. To spare you the formatting and probably a ton of ads, here it is sans formatting.
The Stygian Owl: Unveiling the Enigma of Its Crimson Eyes
The Stygian Owl's red eyes, shining eerily in the night, are a hallmark of this enigmatic bird, setting it apart in the avian world. These crimson orbs, glowing under artificial light, add to the mystique and allure of this nocturnal predator.
Introduction to the Stygian Owl
The Stygian Owl, scientifically known as Asio stygius, is a medium-sized yet striking owl, renowned for its eerie and captivating appearance. This species is found across a diverse range of habitats in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and even urban parks. Its name, derived from the dark and gloomy River Styx of Greek mythology, hints at its mystifying nature.
The Striking Appearance of the Stygian Owl
The owl's physical characteristics are as intriguing as its name. It is larger and darker than the Long-eared Owl, with sooty-brown upperparts and heavy dark barring on its chest and belly. Its facial disc is dusky brown, framed with finely white-speckled lateral rims and prominent, short whitish eyebrows. But the most remarkable feature is its vivid, orange-yellow eyes, which glow bright red when illuminated by artificial light.
The Enigma of the Crimson Gaze
The nocturnal habits of the Stygian Owl contribute to its association with red eyes. As it is active mostly at night, people primarily encounter it under artificial lighting, which causes its eyes to reflect a red hue. This characteristic has earned it nicknames like "The Devil Owl" in certain cultures.
Diet and Hunting: A Unique Predator
Unlike most owls, the Stygian Owl primarily preys on small birds, bats, and occasionally insects and amphibians, rather than rodents. It hunts from a perch, adept at snatching birds from their nocturnal perches or capturing bats mid-flight.
Breeding and Vocalization: Unraveling the Mystery
The breeding habits of the Stygian Owl are relatively unknown. However, it's seen that males perform a wing-clapping display during courtship flights. Nests are typically made in abandoned stick nests of other birds or sometimes on the ground. The female incubates the eggs alone, but both parents feed the downy young. The owl's vocalizations include a deep, hooting song by the male and a high-pitched "miah" by the female.
Conservation Status: Least Concern but Decreasing
Despite its broad distribution, the Stygian Owl's population trend is decreasing, partly due to habitat loss and persecution stemming from myths associated with its appearance.
Conclusion: A Creature of Myth and Reality
The Stygian Owl, with its striking red eyes and mystical aura, is a remarkable species that continues to captivate and intrigue. While it may be shrouded in myth and mystery, this owl plays a significant role in its ecosystem, and understanding it better can help in its conservation efforts.
I liked the picture with the goofball face better than the red eyed pics I normally see. It looks like it'd make a good 8/16 bit sprite.
This is a more common look you'll see in the photos.
Which do you prefer?
Wherever you go, there they are.
Over the past century or so, barred owls have swooped across North America from east to west, inspiring wonder, admiration, and fear about the future of other owls, often all at once. Their story is complicated, as are the labels people attach to them. Are they native or not? And what can their presence in the Pacific Northwest reveal about what it means to belong to a place at this particular moment in history?
Came across this very nice article about the Barred Owl.
As opposed to most recent articles about the Barred Owl being about the pending elimination of a large chunk of the western population of them, this article focuses on how the Barred Owl made its westward journey, why they have been so successful, and the problems resulting from environmental changes expanding the habitat of one species while shrinking it for others.
There are many great facts and photos. It's not written in a clickbait style. It's a longer article, but it's not fluffed up, just full of info. I really recommend you give it a read.
Photos by Parker Photographic
I LOVE the intensity of this Burrowing Owl's eyes... which were fixated on me for a few quick minutes (while I photographed her and her offspring).
Photo by Mike Lentz
Nestled high in a tree in a mixed woodland, a pair of Northern Saw Whet Owls made their home/ Their cozy nest hollowed out in a natural tree cavity held four eggs. The female incubated them diligently for approximately a month and then stayed on the nest for the first 18 days until she left for good leaving the father to continue feeding them. But experiencing the world beyond the nest beckoned as the Owlets grew restless, their instincts urging them to explore! Upon fledging, they stayed close to their nest for many weeks giving wonderful photo opportunities. This image was taken at the end of the day with the sunset going down through the trees in the background.
From The Raptor Trust
The hottest new band in town features these four Eastern Screech Owls. What's their band name?
These Eastern Screech Owls are juveniles going through their molt into their adult plumage. They are fully grown, but feature some questionable feather- doos. They'll be with us for a few more months until they molt into their full adult plumage and learn how to hunt on their own.
Photos by Snap Photography
FINALLY!
After literally years of chasing an owl shot chanced upon this epic spot. Absolutely amazing watching it silently hunt right in front of me. I think there might be more owl shots to come.... Sorry, not sorry!
Canon UK R6iİ + EF300 F2.8 + 2xiii extender on top of the Vanguard Photo UK Veo 3 263CB tripod.
1/1250th F6.3 1600
Photo by Attasha Berry
The thin looking plumicorns in this Great Horned Owl make me think of moth antenna.
Found this, which I hadn't seen before, but looks to be a popular repost.
Photos by Lucia Hackett
Barred owlets will take power naps by keeping their talons tightly gripped on a branch and lie down on their stomachs. This cutie was so busy this morning moving around in the branches until he wasn't! Then he plopped down on the branch and let his wings hang and relax. He stayed like that for about 15 minutes just casually looking around. Then he had to figure out how to get up.
