From Lori Schwaller Masad

Great Horned Owl, December 6 in Dickinson County. (Iowa)

From Kerry Platzgraff

Superb Owls! Took these in Costa Rica. Zoos are illegal in Costa Rica but they have rehab/sanctuaries. All animals are rehabbed and released. The few that cannot be released obviously stay. Really enjoyed seeing these beautiful Owls. First one is a Crested Owl and second is a Spectacled Owl. Had to take the picture through a screen but considering still got some good pictures. I almost forgot the Black-and-white Owl. Added to the post.

From Marie Read

I've picked this Snowy Owl surrounded by blowing snow for my holiday card 2024. Photographed ten years ago, February 2014, in Ontario, Canada.

In Owl of the Year, I discussed the Barn Owl being one of the most well studied of all owls. That doesn't mean we've come anywhere close to understanding all their secrets. I can't across this interesting article, and it explorers done theories about why the Barn Owl, which hunts at night, is bright white instead of a dark color like most owls.

From AccuWeather

An owl’s ‘shocking’ color should hinder hunting. Scientists may have figured out why it works.

By Katie Hunt, CNN

17 DEC 2024

(CNN) — Flying slowly and silently through the night sky, barn owls are majestic nocturnal hunters that successfully prey on rodents scurrying along the ground below.

Scientists have long puzzled over a feature that would appear to handicap the bird during its midnight hunts. The plumage on its underbelly and wings is gleaming white, an unusual trait that in theory should make it more difficult for the owl to approach its prey undetected.

Unlike the snowy owl, the barn owl lives at latitudes where it doesn’t regularly snow. The barn owl’s paradoxically bright plumage baffled biologist Juanjo Negro and his colleagues, who thought the intriguing biological phenomenon warranted further investigation.

“We started from the intuitive feeling that the outstanding whiteness of the barn owl is so shocking that it should imply some adaptive advantage,” said Negro, a research professor at Doñana Biological Station–Spanish National Research Council in Seville, Spain, via email.

Previous research from September 2019 had suggested that bright white coloration was essentially a form of shock and awe, exploiting rodents’ aversion to bright light. Making the predator more visible to the rodent prey, which freeze in fear, the owls’ whiteness made voles easier to kill, the prior study found.

Negro and his team’s latest research suggests instead that the barn owl’s brilliant white plumage is in fact a form of nocturnal camouflage or counter-illumination that gives the hunter an element of surprise.

Barn owl’s feathers match the moonlight The bird’s white reflective underside effectively mimics moonlight, according to the new study describing the team’s findings that published in the journal PNAS on Monday. The bright plumage allows its silhouette to blend into the nocturnal sky and makes it harder for mice or other rodents to spot the owl.

“When the moon is visible, the sky has some brightness that varies depending on the observing direction. Under these conditions, a dark bird would be seen by its potential prey as a black silhouette against the sky,” said Negro, the study’s lead author. “But, if the ventral part of the bird is reflective enough, in other words if it is ‘white’ enough, it would reflect a good part of the moon.”

According to the researchers’ calculations, the contrast between the reflective, white undersides of barn owls and wide areas of the illuminated night sky falls below the detection threshold of rodent visual acuity, allowing barn owls to approach prey to within a few meters from a broad range of directions without being detected.

“This explanation has not been proposed before to justify the whiteness of barn owls,” Negro added.

A similar phenomenon exists in the ocean, where fish often have light-colored undersides to match sunlit water and make them less visible to predators hovering in the depths below.

Not all barn owls have white underbellies, however; some have reddish-brown plumage instead.

Negro said the research did not investigate hunting success in relation to plumage color, but earlier research had suggested that whiter barn owls were more efficient hunters than their darker counterparts during a full moon.

Bright-white shock value vs. concealment Barn owl expert Alexandre Roulin, a professor of biology at the University of Lausanne’s department of ecology and evolution who conducted the prior research that suggested the species’ white coloration shocked and immobilized its prey, said he was not fully convinced by the new explanation. However, he said he couldn’t rule it out.

“We do not wish to dismiss the authors’ hypothesis outright. It may, in fact, be complementary to our own. Perhaps at long distances the white plumage aids in camouflage, while at closer range, it may serve to make the owl more visible,” he said via email.

One key aspect Roulin said needed further explanation was the behavior of voles under moonlight.

“We observed that voles remained immobile longer when the approaching owl was white rather than reddish. Previous research has shown that this immobilization is an anti-predator response,” Roulin said. “Based on this, we would argue that the voles recognized the white owl as a predator, suggesting that the owl was visible, rather than camouflaged.”

Negro said the owl’s ability to fly in complete silence, a trait that helps it approach prey in stealth, does not tally with the idea that the predator would want to make itself more visible. However, he agreed that the new hypothesis doesn’t totally disprove the previous theory.

Camouflage is often considered a daytime phenomenon based on light and shade. Negro said that there are likely other forms of animal coloration that served as nighttime camouflage, which has not been as well studied as daytime concealment tactics.

“Nocturnal ecology is an emerging field, and considering that half the animals in the planet are essentially nocturnal, adaptations to the natural cycles of the Moon are surely widespread,” he said.

Came across this pic and I had to share this once it was out of the tournament.

Even the most beautiful creature has at least one angle that is simply not flattering!

Wow, those semi-final matches were intense! There was so much back and forth throught the day.

Snowy and Eagle had a number of changes in position during early voting until Eagle Owl got the advantage and stayed ahead for the final few hours.

Saw Whet and our returning champ, White Faced Scops, battled it out for the whole 24 hours! I couldn't say how many times each was on top. The Scops had a fairly easy run of things until the little scapper finally made him work for it if it wanted to stay on top. Finally, with just a handful of last votes, Saw Whet held the lead until time ran out. The champ was defeated!

Now is the moment we've all waited for, the final showdown of the tournament! One owl large, the other small, but today they are here as equals. Only one of them will be our Owl if the Year though!

Both of these owls have earned their places. Saw Whet became a fan favorite, but had some very close matches, especially considering it had some rather tough opponents at every stage. A last win over the Great Horned Owl cemented this little bird as a true fighter and gave it what it needed to finally stop the Scops.

The Eurasian Eagle Owl was barely slowed down by the even larger Blakiston's Fish Owl, the former fan favorite Flammulated Owl, and though the Morepork ran a very strong campaign, it wasn't enough to outshine this massive and powerful owl.

You've faced many hard choices up until now, but this may be the hardest yet. It's time to choose your new champion. On one hand, the mighty mini from the Canadian forests that punches above its weight and has beat all odds. On the other, an owl of undeniable strength and regalness, a true apex hunter. The time is here to decide: who is your new Owl of the Year?

Upvote your final choice now!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024

From Kimberley Biederman

Just a few of my favorite captures of the Short-eared Owls in Wyondot County last month. November 2024

From Bucci Photography

Today's Great Grey Owl in the snow looking for breakfast, Unfortunately this owl missed its catch but was successful later on. Saskatchewan, Canada

From Deby Dixon

Absolutely loved watching this pygmy owl as it sat on the willow branches that were covered in hoar frost. Add the mountain background and this was breathtaking.

This busy owl is killing up to 5 voles a day! I'm thinking that it probably only eats about half of one at a time so I am wondering if the owl is thinking about hibernating with its stash once it gets really cold and snowy. LOL.

One of the things that has tickled me the past couple of days has been listening to people ooh and aah over the frozen, sparkly landscape. They can't get over how beautiful this is. I smile, knowingly because there are still those days when Yellowstone is so beautiful in winter, my heart aches. It aches because I can't adequately describe the beauty and don't think I can take a photo that would truly do it justice.

On another note, I watched a pack of wolves, far away, running along ridges at sky line late this afternoon. I could not believe how many elk and deer were way up high.

From Edwin Martinez

WINTER IS HERE.

Great grey owl

Alberta, Canada

The great grey owl is a true owl, and is the world's largest species of owl by length. It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, and it is the only species in the genus Strix found in both Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Canon R5 + RF 100-500mm
1/100 F10 IS06400| JAN 2023

From Kevin Thurk

Northern Hawk Owl sitting on a nice frosty treetop.

From Cynthia Rand

This Screech Owl was startled from the sudden swirl of two squirrels chasing each other around a nearby tree trunk!

Snowy put all the haters to rest with a win over the Barn Owl. This frosty feathered one has taken on some of the most exciting owls from the equator we could find. It's a personal favorite that drives people to do crazy things to catch a glimpse of them. It's a real celebrity amongst owls. This owl has the energy of a winner and it's looking to out do its second place it got last year.

Many were sad GHO had to make way for the Saw Whet, but Eagle Owl is looking to pick up their endorsement in its stead. They've got a lot of the same characteristics that make them great owls. They're big with classy patterned feathers. Large talons with crushing grip strength to take care of the largest prey, having been known to (rarely) catch foxes or roe deer fawns! A potential upgrade over the GHO is the Eagle Owl has orange eyes instead of yellow.

Which of these jumbo sized owls will you send to the finals? Will we have a rematch between Snowy and the Scops? Will the Eagle Owl put the Snowy on ice? Upvote now to give us our service finalist!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024

White Faced Scops walked into this tournament like a true champion, and none of its competition has yet to present much of a challenge. This owl just looks good. It's got the ears, it's got a prominent mustache, captivating orange eyes, and a trendy monochromatic color scheme. He's so far untouchable, but we've got a tiny owl coming in for a sneak attack!

The wee Saw Whet has been very accomplished these last two weeks. It's taken on the Barred Owl, the pescatarian Buffy Fish Owl, and it just out-greated the Great Horned Owl. This itty bitty owl has shown it's got big, big heart. It's small, it's expressive, it's got a lot of unique looks, and it's uncommon, but not as exotic to most of us as the Scops.

Will the Scops march unopposed to the finals, or has it finally met its match? Will the Saw Whet's winning streak keep going? I dunno, that's what you guys are here to tell me! Upvote your choice for the finals now!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024

From World Bird Sanctuary

Owls, such as Uxmal the spectacled owl, have very large eyes to help with their excellent night vision.

Most owl eyes are around 5% of the bird's body weight. That might not sound like much, but human eyes are only 0.0003% of our body weight.

Owls have additional adaptations in their eyes that help make them the perfect nighttime predator. They can dilate their pupils incredibly wide to bring more light into the eyes, and they can even control how much each eye individually dilates.

Like humans, owls have cones to distinguish color and rods to detect light, however owls have significantly more rods to cones than humans. Behind an owl eye's rod-packed retina is another layer called the tapetum lucidum, which catches any light that may have passed through the retina and bounces it back to those sensitive rods.

All of these adaptations give these birds the perfect vision for hunting at night.

From Derek Deihl

The Winterberry Bared Owl, photographed in 2020 this wild bird was very photogenic providing crazy flight shots at point blank range.

Minnesota 2020

Up next is a pair of beautiful white (mostly) owls, the Snowy and the Barn.

Snowy, representing the "true owls" of family Strigidae, is coming right off a heated battle with Crested Owl that it only won with a 1 vote margin. Some have made it their mission this tournament to stop the attention seeking of Snowy and give someone else some time in the limelight. With that said, people around the world do love the Snowy and can't get enough of this beautiful bird!

Opposing the Snowy, from family Tytonidae, the Barn and Bay owls, is the eponymous Barn Owl. While some barn owls we know almost nothing about, the Tyto alba we're looking at today is one of the most studied owls, subject of many famous studies. They are found everywhere but Antarctica,and they don't do too well in extreme cold, so you can find them most anywhere, though coincidentally not in many if the same places as Snowy.

Both are tremendous owls, but we've only got one banner spot left, and one of these lovely birds has got to say goodbye. Which will it be? Upvote your favorite owl now!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024

Both entrants today have had very solid campaigns so far. The Great Horned beat the Sooty and then had a major win against the beloved Burrowing Owl. Saw Whet got past the Barred Owl and the well liked Buffy Fish Owl. No one could deny either if these owls has a place in the final four.

Great Horned is a legend. Large and powerful with a bellowing hoot. The mightiest hunting owl of the Americas. They have a 5ft / 1.5m wingspan, and only the Snowy outweighs it. Ask someone to describe an owl to you, and they will likely describe to you the mighty Great Horned.

Saw Whet is short and sweet. It's one of the smallest owls, with a chirping call that is quite unique. Though small, its diet is more similar to an owl like the Great Horned than the diet of other small owls. The charming face belies wonderful hunting talent. It migrates to follow its opportunities for success, and that's what it's looking to do today.

Who will be your third banner owl and semi-finalist? Upvote them now!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024

I.e. a barred owl!

She's a Connecticut-based illustrator, designer, and fine artist who creates paintings and drawings inspired by botany, natural history, and textile design. Her artwork depicts the mystery, beauty, and fragility of nature through the use of botanical elements, intricate patterns, and vivid colors. Vasilisa sees her paintings as windows into a magical world, much like the one she enjoyed getting lost in as a child while reading fairy tales. She creates artwork using both traditional and digital mediums. Vasilisa graduated with a degree in Illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

https://www.vasilisaart.com/paintings.html

Her gorgeous handling of natural elements also gives me a touch of Kit Williams vibes, who I did a brief roundup up of here.

We're at the point of selecting our banner winners!

Here is your updated bracket and voting stats.

Some of the divisions are really getting heated and the difficulty for you guys has stepped up.

As always, I'm looking forward to seeing who your favorites will be!

Burrow and Crested fans have a lot of voting potential to either direct for or against some of the remaining owls.

From Mark Webb

Shorties in combat... this is as shot (apart from background noise reduction) in the most amazing light as the sky went dark and the owls were lit up by some sunlight.

From Baba-Vulic Aleksandar

Snowy Owl "Namaste"

This frame associated me with a yoga pose, as it looked like Owl was doing Sun Salutation, as she took a bow to the setting sun. In Owls world, that probably means similar to ours, just quite opposite since setting sun means that time for hunting has arrived. This bird certainly looks like she is enjoying her temporary visit to New England.

Massachusetts November 2024

From Ken Anderson

FBF to this past spring... finding a Great Honed Owl family living in a giant burnt tree.

Even the deadest of things in nature can be a source of life !

Eurasian Eagle Owl has already taken down the even bigger Blakiston's Fish Owl, and the tiny but adorable Flammulated Owl. Now it's got its eyes on a medium sized one: the Morepork! This robust and mighty owl is hard not to like. It's got much of the same great qualities of the Great Horned: massive, well patterned body, crushing talons rivaling the largest flighted birds, and a wonderful hoot.

Morepork has thus far only taken on other Southern Hemisphere owls, having stopped Australia's Barking Owl and Africa's Milky Eagle Owl. Representing the island nation of New Zealand and the fandom of Discworld, Morepork has had a great fan base this year. It even picked up some vegan support, running on it's meatless Maori name, Ruru. Will this silly little hawk owl be able to deal with the Eagle Owl?

Who will be the second banner owl and our next semi-finalist? Upvote your choice below!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024

White Faced Scops has has an easier go of things so far than many other owls, being fairly unchallenged through the first two matches it's seen. Buff Fronted and Long Ear did their best, but couldn't lay a feather on WFS. While many typically popular owls have seemingly been passed over for something different, the Scops has balanced being popular while still being the perfect amount obscure.

Spectacled Owl on the other hand has done really well. It beat the wise old Grey Owl in the first match, and a surprise poor turnout for the Screech while Speck picked up some more support led to a second victory. It's loveable nerdy looks bring a different attitude the the gruff or silly looks of most other owls.

This match could really upend things if the champ gets bumped out. Whoever wins this is our first semi-finalist, and the first of the four owls to grace our banner for the next year. Who will you choose? Vote now!

#superbowl #owloftheyear2024