For owls that are superb.
US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com
Australia Rescue Help: WIRES
Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org
If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
From Middle Tennessee Raptor Center
Remington enjoyed posing for pictures at the Christmas tree lighting this evening. Remi could have stayed all night but me on the other hand left before the tree was lit. I was freezing cold! 🥶
From Audubon Center for Birds of Prey
Rescuing raptors is never exactly easy, but last week we had a particularly tricky situation on our hands. We received a call from a homeowner who saw an Eastern Screech Owl fall into a 9 foot concrete column in their back patio. The owl had been in the area for a few days, perching on top of the column, and it was by a stroke of luck that the homeowner saw the moment it fell in. With a width of about four inches, the hole was not wide enough for the owl to spread its wings and fly out.
Volunteers Maggie Haynes and Noah Hoffner-O'connor met at the home and immediately began trying a variety of rescue methods. Finally, they found something that worked: A soup ladle with two cords attached provided a little scoop for the owl to rest in while they raised it up. Once at the top of the column, Noah quickly grabbed the owl before it could jump down again.
Here at the Raptor Trauma Clinic, we gave the owl a quick exam and it passed with flying colors-it was released later that same day. Noah and Maggie discussed with the grateful homeowner the possibility of installing a screech-owl nest box, and the necessity of covering the openings at the top of those columns. Cheers to Noah, Maggie, the conscientious homeowner, and the little screech owl, flying free once again!
One owl you should know well... The Snowy. From memes, to Harry Potter, to yearly controversies about photographers flicking like paparazzi to get a look at them, we all love the Snowy Owl. It's big, bright, goofy, beautiful, and powerful all at once. Seeing them takes our hearts on a Polar Express ride of happiness. This owl was already tops of the first round voting, and is on a good track to the finals.
A mysterious stranger is looking to stop the Snowy's crusade. The Crested Owl is secretive and exotic. From tropical destinations not seen by many, but it is a sight to behold for those that do. With its unique sense of style and the thrill of the unknown, can it derail the Snowy?
Upvote your pick now!
Buffy has retained a bit of its popularity from last year, coming off a great win over Mottled Wood. I thought the newcomer would have given it a bit more challenge, but its charming personality overcame the challenger with no issue.
The petite Saw Whet has been making big waves, having the second highest score of the first tier matches. There's been a few people calling for SWO to go all the way to the finals.
Both owls are known for their charming appearance, one a dopey big lug, the other is pure concentrated cuteness. Which owl gets your vote? Upvote them now!
From Wendy Erickson
Great Gray Owl!
This is my first GGO and omg am ecstatic to say the least. I never expected to see this Owl on my acreage and it happened so fast. just lost all sense of Whooo Haaaa! So he is a bit soft and completely lost all my senses with camera settings.
Yes photographers are fussy and am very much a picky perfectionist. This is my ultimate dream to say the least. I have only seen one once and that again was on our property but it was dark.
They are so beautiful! This guy was hunting. More to Come!
North Saskatchewan
From Jim Ankrom
Grey morph screech trying real hard to look like a red morph screech under the sodium street lights. Master of camouflage, indeed!
Wherever you are right now, one or both of these owls is probably not toooo far away. These owls can fly further then probably any other owls. This had allowed them to go places other owls could only dream of. There's one place one of these two can't go... The next bracket!
Technically, there are 30 barn owls. We're going to look at the Western Barn Owl of Eurasia and Africa, we did the American one last time. You can get a better guess on if a Barn Owl is make it female by looking at the belly. The males are usually whiter and there are less belly spots. The ladies are a little tanner and have more spots. Their populations are doing a bit of a rebound because they actually love nest boxes and people are finally learning how awesome it can be to have owls around.
While Barn Owls like snug little places like tree hollow, nest boxes, and sometimes even barns, the Short Eared Owl loves the widest expanses it can find. Shorties can migrate 1200 miles / 1900 km, and have even been found hundreds of miles in the ocean in remote islands having babies in a tropical paradise. They have a unique courtship flight ritual in which the male will clap its wings up to 10 claps per second. It sounds like a woodpecker or snapping some bubble wrap.
Both of these owls are classics. They have many similarities, but also maybe differences, making this a potentially difficult choice. Let me know who you're going with now by upvoting your selection.
This one could get interesting! We've got some undeniably to tier owls in both of the contests today. This one features 2 of the best North American owls, while the other are likely the 2 most ubiquitous on the planet.
First up, the owl that's not afraid to get down and dirty. They'll even collect dung to put at the entrance to the burrow to cover their own scent or to deter animals from entering. They also incidentally do us some big favors. Just by being there hungry little selves, a family of Burrowing Owls can eat almost 7000 bugs and 2000 rodents each year.
Up second, the king of the night skies, the Great Horned Owl. This mighty hunter gives nightmares to que a number of it nocturnal forest brethren. Even other raptors like Osprey, Peregrines, geese, and even just about any other owl can become dinner if they aren't alert! They are the second most massive American owl, only the Snowy is heavier. What do they do with this size and power? The use it to hold down their turf. Average home range for a GHO is 1.5 square miles / 960 acres (3.6 sq km / 388 hectares). While a whole family of Burrowing Owls can eat 2000 mice a year, a single GHO can take 4000 squeakers out of action.
The little joker has a large and vocal fan base. Burrow is a charmer and has endless numbers of cute and funny photos. GHO on the other hand, is distinguished and classy looking during the day, but at night it mercilessly patrols the area it calls home. When Watchmen needed a version of Batman, there is a reason it was Nite Owl they went with. GHO is Bruce Wayne by day, but Batman of the forest by night!
Upvote your favorite owl now!
Almost published the next tournament post by accident again. 😑
I hate seeing my deleted posts, so I'll turn it into a low effort picture post.
Since you voted out my dear Long Ear, I'm going to celebrate it anyway!
The long-eared owl is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl.
Went to IKEA the other day and came across these stuffed animals/hand puppets based off the Snowy Owl. Very soft and pretty darn cute
From Robin Lowry
Meet Mystic the Barn Owl!
During our recent studio workshop, Mystic stole the show, spreading those gorgeous wings to catch the light just right. With a simple setup, we achieved this beautiful effect of light streaming through her wings, creating a magical moment.
We explored a few more unique setups throughout the day, and managed to capture a few more shots. I can't wait to share once I've sorted through them! Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes glimpses of our workshop!
Eurasian Eagle did well against the Blakiston's Fish Owl in a bit of an upset if we looked at how these 2 fared last time. Though not as related as once thought, the EEO is still one of the biggest, toughest owls left in the game.
The Flammulated fans from last year don't seem as impassioned this time around. It beat Dusky, but by a slim margin of 2 votes. They're going to need to show up today if they want Flammy's name emblazoned on the prize this year.
The Eagle Owl is a manifestation of power. It's bold, rugged, and intimidating. If the Snowy continues its surge in the voting, the Eagle could be one that could stop it. It's got a lot of like characteristics, and could steal enough votes to get to the finals.
Flammulated is quite another story. It's small. It's brightly patterned, but still feels restrained, and it's not going to intimidate anyone much larger than its dinner. But this little one speaks to something ancient and primordial. It looks as old as the trees themselves. It captures the mystery of the woods.
Are you feeling big, brash, and confident, or does a more quiet and restrained persona capture your sense of what a top owl should be? Upvote the one you like below!
Speck did well in its first match, with a solid win over the Great Grey. This handsome and intelligent looking owl really won the crowd over.
Meanwhile, Screech Owl has a bit of a rocky start for a returning final 4 owl. The Philippine Scops and its nebula eyes almost took its place. Maybe just early round jitters?
The Spectacled and the Screech are significantly different from each other. Speck had been featured from time to time, especially the one from Suffolk Owl Sanctuary. It seems to be doing a bit better here then it normally does.
The Screech is very popular. I don't think we've likely ever gone a week without a Screech Owl or two. We like it awake, we like it sleepy, we like it angry. But have we gotten bored with this little one?
Who are you going to choose? You've got 2 good choices here. Upvote your favorite now!
Here is an end of round 1 update.
Also charted the scores high to low for anyone curious.
Which victory were you most happy about?
Which owl got robbed of a deserved win?
Did any new owls surprise you?
Who is your overall favorite to win as of now?
From Nelson Filipie
The sweetness and harmony surprisingly close and undisturbed.
Barn Owl
(Tyto alba)
Lisbon - Portugal
From UM Raptor Center
If you can't break some records in your 50th year of operation, when can you?
On Sunday, December 8th, 2024, TRC admitted patient number 1059, officially making this year's patient census the highest in our history. Our record-breaking patient isa hatch-year barred owl experiencing severe head trauma after a suspected car strike. Our big-eyed friend is resting with pain medications and is receiving oxygen as we monitor its neurological symptoms during this critical period of early care.
With every uptick in yearly admissions comes the question: Why are you seeing more birds? The answer is the culmination of multiple factors.
Our education ambassadors have inspired more than 1,000,000 members of the public over 50 years resulting in more calls reporting raptors in need each year.
TRC has a growing network of transport volunteers who provide a raptor "ambulance" service, escorting birds from across Minnesota and from a few surrounding states to the Center's hospital.
There might simply be more injured raptors in general. With a host of collaborators, we have saved raptor species and supported population growth. While the rate of injury might technically be similar, increased populations could mean an equal increase in injuries.
Another growing population is playing a role in the steady increase of bird admissions: people. TRC regularly admits patients injured due to car strikes, window collisions, and entrapment in objects such as chimneys and sports netting; others are admitted following poisoning with lead or rodenticides. The list of ways people impact the health of raptors and our shared environment is extensive.
As biodiversity is threatened, there are consequences such as the emergence of new disease threats. These cause temporary influxes in patient admissions and contribute to a consistent upward trend over time.
There is a lot of work to do, but when reflecting on all that TRC has collectively achieved in its first 50 years of serving raptors, it's clear the next 50 can tip the scale in shifting the human impact on the environment from negative to positive and leave a better world for generations of both people and raptors to come.
We have a duo of strangely named and atypical looking owls for you here. They're both the largest native owls of their respective homelands - the Milky because it is huge, and the Morepork because... default...it's the only native owl.
Milky is big, pale, with sad eyes and unique pink eyelids. Morepork is small, a deep brown, and a skinny hawk owl head that makes those eyes look a little bit crazy.
Which kind of unique are you? They're both really special, but which charms your inner freaky side the most? Upvote your pick below!
White Faced Scops kicked off the tournament with a bang. Even as the first matchup, it garnered an easy win with one of the highest scores so far. Its popularity does not seem to be diminished at all.
Long Eared Owl squeezed out a win against the tiny terror that is the Elf Owl. LEO is doing alright, but it's going to have to toughen up to beat the reigning champ.
Both owls are very nicely colored, they have great plumicorns, lovely orange eyes, and are capable of a wide range of expressions.
Is it still "long live the king," or are you looking for a change? Upvote your favorite!
It's a long shot but hoping to rally some support for Barred Owl! Hurry and vote for BO! Saw Whet has that pokemon vibe and Barred does too! Snake haters, this is your owl!
Donnie will be so sad if Barred doesn't make it to the sweet sixteen. Do it for Donnie 🦉
From Xiang T Zhang
This summer, a pair of Barn Owls nested in a barn house at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio and hatched eight owlets. Refuge staff installed a camera near the nest, streaming live footage of the nest on YouTube.
The life for this owl family has not been easy. One day, while both the owl parents were out hunting, an intruding Barn Owl broke into the nest and killed one of the owlets.
Later, the mother owl also disappeared. With the help of the refuge staff, the father owl successfully raised the remaining seven owlets.
In the middle of July, the owlets started to go outside. I went there a few times to photograph the owlets. It was quite challenging. The young owls sleep during the day and only start being active about 15 minutes after sunset, by which time the light is already very dim.
I used a 400mm F2.8 lens and had to use a very slow shutter speed to barely manage taking photos.
From Rakesh Baro
Ontario Evenings!
Photographing short-eared owls in Southern Ontario is an enchanting experience, particularly in the golden glow of the evening sun.
These graceful hunters, with their unique flight patterns, are a joy to observe as they glide low over the fields in search of prey.
I especially love how the backlighting from the setting sun accentuates their soft plumage, casting a warm, ethereal light that makes every shot feel truly rewarding.
Patience is essential, as these owls are most active at dusk, but the opportunity to capture their beauty in such serene lighting is always worth the effort.
Nikon Z9, Nikkor 500mm f4+1.4TC
We're at the end of the first round, and basically halfway through the tournament. Today we meet the last of our competitors. The choices will only get harder from here in out, so choose carefully! For the last entrants, we have a pair of mostly monochromatic owls-one you know, and one you likely don't. You guys have stuck with most of the classics this year, Milky over the Little Owl being the only real outlier. Do you have another surprise in store for me today?
First up, the second most popular owl of last year, we all know it-the Snowy! This is one of the biggest and fluffiest owls; a necessity as it spends most of its time above the Arctic Circle. Snowies are a favorite of owl-ologists. As migratory owls, tossing a tracker on them gets us valuable data from places that aren't too hospitable or traversable for us. As you might infer from the rise of Snowy posts recently, Snowies will venture further south during the winter in search of food and some additional comfort.
The Black and White is a medium owl of Latin America and northernmost South America. Found in the wetlands and rain forest, this owl hunts mostly in the canopy for beetles and cicadas, though it will also take a bat, rodent, bird, or amphibian should the opportunity present itself. Like the Buffy Fish Owl, the B&W only lays a single egg at a time. Egg clutch sizes for bird species often shrink as they get closer to the equator. The Snowy, on the other hand, can last over 10 at the other extreme.
