Who Wow!

Three Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) were recorded in Brooklyn (Kings Co.) during the Christmas bird count. Wow! Yes, this is one of the most common owl species in North America, found from backyards to deserts, but three of these big birds in the borough seems pretty good (I know of three others elsewhere in the city). A fearsome predator, they will go after prey larger than themselves, but like a lot of raptors will eat anything they can catch, no matter how small.

This picture is from some distance, through the branches of another tree (and yet it still sees me). It’s good to keep your distance and be respectful of roosting owls, who are resting during the day. The birds are more important than the photograph. The American Birding Association has a code of ethics that all good nature-watchers should follow.

Quite a few owls real and imaginary are found in these pages of blog.