21 Funny Owl Pictures That Are a Real Hoot

Lori Vanover

By Lori Vanover

Published on Aug. 18, 2025

Enjoy funny owl pictures shared by readers, including snowy owl, barred owl and screech-owl images that will make you laugh.

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Courtesy Brad Moser

All in the Family

Birds & Blooms reader Brad Moser put a fake owl in his barn window before this great horned owl family moved in. Brad says it looked as if they were posing for a family portrait. If you enjoy funny owl photos, you’ll love these funny duck pictures, too.

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baby screech owl
Courtesy Gail Hall

The Owlet Trio

Gail Hall of Smithfield, North Carolina, hosts a pair of breeding eastern screech-owls in her backyard. Last spring, she took a photo of the owlets peering out of the nest box. These fluffy siblings have a lot of personality!

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funny owl
Courtesy Donice Palmer

Are You My Mother?

Donice Palmer of Goshen, Ohio, captured this odd encounter between a great horned owl and a cow on her parents’ farm. “It was a hot summer day, and the owl was resting near the creek to cool off. My parents’ curious cow, Patches, came to check out the feathered visitor,” she says. “There was a standoff and a brief chase, but the owl escaped unscathed.”

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Courtesy Eileen Ferguson

Snowy Owl Salute

Eileen Ferguson of Swedesboro, New Jersey, sent us this silly photo she took on a December visit to the Jersey Shore. “What an unexpected delight to see this snowy owl at such a close range,” she says. “I observed this owl for over an hour and was treated to what looked like a salute, as if he were bidding me a fond farewell.”

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funny owl
Courtesy Belle Shuler

Unwelcome Visitor

“This burrowing owl looked not so happy to have a snail cruising on its head. But its facial expression was quite priceless!” says reader Belle Shuler.

After you finish seeing the funny owl photos, check out these funny turkey pictures.

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253998126 1 Monica Brill Bnb Bypc2020
Courtesy Monica Brill

What Big Feathers You Have

“I was hiking with my husband in early January and came across this great horned owl. I was happy to grab this close up shot before it was gone,” says reader Monica Brill.

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Bnbbyc18 Sandra Seehafer Dziok
Courtesy Sandra Seehafer Dziok

Bored by Birding

“This year I happened upon this beautiful owl while it was sun bathing. It was the only one I saw this season, as they are very elusive. This owl sat on this pole for at least a half hour. It was bored with my presence so it yawned and fluffed its feathers,” says reader Sandra Seehafer Dziok.

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Bnbbyc19 Tammy Windsor Brown
Courtesy Tammy Windsor Brown

Topsy-Turvy

“This funny owl photo is extremely special to me as I have never seen an owl in the daytime, let alone little barn owlets! Also, I didn’t realize until I downloaded it that it looked like one of the babies was mooning me!” says reader Tammy Windsor Brown.

Learn how to identify an American barn owl.

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360199445 1 Sheila Laabs Bnb Pc 2023
Courtesty Sheila Laabs

Mom, He Won’t Stay Out of My Room!

Two young barred owls entertained reader Sheila Laabs in her yard in Bedford, Texas. “It looks as if the older one is making faces at its sibling,” she says. “It was fun to watch them as they sometimes did act like little children.”

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310080895 1 Bruce Tusing Bnb Pc 2022
Courtesy Bruce Tusing

Buzz Off!

“This owl at the Baltimore Zoo was being pestered by a yellow jacket. The owl was constantly nipping at the yellow jacket, making it difficult to get a good photo,” says reader Bruce Tusing.

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Bnbbyc18 Sarah Crum
Courtesy Sarah Crum

Kiddy Pool

“We had a family of barred owls grow up in our backyard this year. We watched them from first coming out of the nest hole to learning to fly and eating worms and cicadas in the yard,” says reader Sarah Crum.

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686053688 1 Dorothy Monahan Bnb Pc 2024
Courtesy Dorothy Monahan

The Great Pumpkin

“I took a drive to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, one afternoon in January. While driving on a country road, I noticed short-eared owls flying over the fields ahead of me. One of the owls perched on a pumpkin. I stopped and had enough time to snap a few photos before the owl flew away!” says reader Dorothy Monahan.

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Courtesy Patricia Dalpiaz

New Year’s Owl

“This snowy owl was sitting in the dunes on Salisbury Beach Massachusetts on New Year’s Day as the sun was setting. He seemed to be looking right at us as to welcome the New Year,” says reader Patricia Dalpiaz

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Courtesy Timothy Carroll

Whooo Goes There?

“In early July I got a phone call from my former college roommate telling me he had three fledgling screech-owls in his backyard. I quickly made the 80 mile trip, hoping to they would still be there. When I arrived and walked around back, we were surprised and pleased to see that a fourth had joined them. This shot captures their curiosity and amusement at the two folks snapping pictures from 50 feet away,” says reader Timothy Carroll.

See more adorable baby owl pictures.

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funny owl
Courtesy Susan Perez

Beetle Breakfast

“I have visited the field in Ontario, California, where these adorable burrowing owls call home for several years. On this beautiful July morning, I sat for several hours watching them fly, preen and find food. This little guy had a tasty beetle breakfast. I just love his funny owl expression and those eyes, he’s saying ‘yum, yum, yum!'” says reader Susan Perez.

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Courtesy Heather Farrell

Cuddle Buddies

Reader Heather Farrell shared this adorable photo of a young barred owl cuddling with its mom or dad near the nesting cavity.

Here’s how to attract owls to nest in your backyard.

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funny owl
Courtesy Dave Weth

Where’s Waldo?

“I watched this great horned owl fly into this soybean field with a fresh catch. I couldn’t find him for about five minutes, then I finally spotted the tufts just above the beans. There was a killdeer nearby that wasn’t pleased. I was thrilled, though, as my patience paid off,” says reader Dave Weth.

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308409955 1 Elyza Guzman Bnb Pc 2022
Courtesy Elyza Guzman

The Owl and the Mockingbird

I took this photo this summer in Cape Coral, Florida using a Canon EOS 2000D. The owl was vocalizing to the mockingbird, in the tree above him, who was chasing the owl,” says reader Elyza Guzman.

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251524945 1 Debbie Thoumsin Bnb Bypc2020
Courtesy Debbie Thoumsin

Owl Always Love You

“This screech-owl was nested inside this heart-shaped broken branch on the San Pedro River, Sierre Vista, Arizona. I loved the natural heart shaped frame the owl was in,” says reader Debbie Thoumsin.

Uncover the facts behind common owl myths.

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276768686 1 Phyllis Lane Bnb Bypc 2021
Courtesy Phyllis Lane

Vacation Vibes

“I had an owl family living in my palm tree, and everyday I would go out and photograph them. One evening, this is what was happening,” says reader Phyllis Lane.

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funny owl
Courtesy Tom Mangelsdorf

Curiouser and Curiouser

“This little one is standing just outside its burrow in the warm, early morning light. It’s attempting to determine where a new sound is coming from. This extreme head tilting helps the owl triangulate the location of objects and noises in its territory‚ a process known as motion parallax. It’s one of the little owlet’s most endearing traits,” says reader Tom Mangelsdorf.

Next, discover the types of owls in North America.