This matchup brings us a set of very distinguished looking birds.
The Flammulated Owl developed a very rabid fan base last year, with you guys calling it the "Ent Owl" as it resembles a living tree. The owl's name refers to the smoldering ember patterns that only enhance its great looks. It is a small owl, slightly larger than the Elf Owl, but has a surprisingly deep hoot. They are a migratory species, leaving Canada and the western US in the winter to go down to Latin America. Flammulated Owls, like the Long Eared Owl, is another owl that actually doesn't mind being in groups of its own kind. They prefer pine forests and eat insects.
The Dusky Eagle Owl hails from India to Malaysia. It is a large owl, mostly nocturnal, but will come out during the day, especially if it is more cloudy. One interesting fact is they only nest in abandoned nests or one particular bird in 2 or 3 particular kinds of tree! I'd love to tell you more, but they are one if the least studied owls, so hopefully the mystery will add to its allure!
#superbowl #owloftheyear2024
This match pits two of my favs against each other, so I don't know if I want to see a repeat of Flammy's surge from last year, or for the Dusky to get a shot at it. 😖
Blakiston's was head to head with Eagle for a good while, but Eagle pulled ahead at one point and never looked back. I will probably never get to see a Blakiston's, but I did get to meet an Eagle Owl family this year in Pittsburgh and they were as glorious as I'd hoped.
What is going on with the pattern on those feathers!? It's that thing where you send electricity through wood and get that pattern, or people when struck by lightning. Absolutely unique, happy for your visit, and looks like you got to see many facets of that Eagle's personality
I love that pattern too! I went to the park by my work with the Great Horned Owl the other day and she was right at the front and she's got the same thing, so I took some time to enjoy it.
The National Aviary was amazing. I got to hold a Screech Owl named Cedar, and I didn't know at the time, but the Eagle Owls had laid eggs that hatched while we were there, so there are 2 more now!
They had a Burrowing Owl also, who was very unhappy that I saw him. I'd been to a few places that supposedly had them before, but I'd never seen any of them. I'd like to see another one in a better mood, this one didn't seem to want company.