Admire these spectacular reader photos of owl species found across America, including snowy owls, great horned owls, barred owls and more.
Sleepy Owl on the Trail
“I had been observing this screech-owl for a few weeks. Every time I got close, it looked as if it was out cold. Whether it was asleep or not, it was always a welcome sight during my walks on the Red Cedar Trail just outside of Menomonie, Wisconsin,” says Birds & Blooms reader James Kurzynski.
Ready for Takeoff
“We live in the High Desert and witnessed our majestic resident great horned owl spreading his wings for liftoff. He looked as if he was soaking up every second of a magical moment!” says reader Deborah Saldana.
Owl Funny Face
“This great horned owl had a nest in the cemetery in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and one day, I saw it sitting in a tree near the nest with its tongue out. Maybe it was getting ready to disgorge a pellet!” says reader Martin Espinola.
A Hopeful Owl
“We nicknamed this beautiful barred owl Hope, aptly as it appears to be watching the Minnesota skies, hoping for sunshine and warmer days. We are lucky to see it several times a week, and it is very tolerant of us,” says Bernie Stang.
Peek-a-Boo Screech-Owl
“This is one of three fledgling eastern screech owls that had been frequenting my friend’s backyard in Sedgwick, Kansas. All three fledglings were in the same tree the day I got this picture, but I couldn’t get them in frame together. The one in my picture seemed very comfortable with my presence and was very curious about my camera. I love the ‘peek-a-boo’ look on it’s face,” says reader Jesse Thomas. Uncover the facts behind common myths about owls.
Long-Eared Owl on a Cold Day
“My husband and I like to keep an eye on social media to see if there are any unusual birds sighted in our area. When we started seeing pictures of long-eared owls in Wisconsin earlier this year, we decided to try our luck! We drove to Milwaukee County on one of the coldest days in March, complete with blustery winds, wind chills, and frequent snow showers. Although we were dressed accordingly for the chilly weather, after an hour and half of walking, we decided to get some lunch and warm up. When we finished, we were determined to try one more time. That’s when I saw it…a pair of eyes in the underbrush staring right at me! The experience was breathtaking and well worth the time spent in the cold!” says field editor Sue Gronholz.
Snowy Owl in Flight
“I heard about a rural area that three snowy owls had settled in, so I decided to try and get photos of this magnificent bird. Once I arrived, I had no trouble spotting the owl in a farmer’s field. I asked for permission to enter the property and spent approximately 40 minutes slowly approaching the owl in a zig-zag fashion so not to stress the bird. As I was preparing to leave, another photographer came walking straight into the field. I managed two shots just as it lifted off and flew away,” says reader Ted Busby.
Posing Burrowing Owl
“This burrowing owl defines the word cute. They look good doing nothing at all but when one gives you some action, it’s fantastic. I find these little guys in the neighborhood park and I feel blessed to have such a rare critter so close by. They build dens under ground and are most active at night,” says reader Bob Branham.
Owl Camouflage
“This was a remarkable capture to find this Eastern screech owl so perfectly camouflaged in a live oak tree. The afternoon sunlight was hitting the bark at the time I spotted this owl, which sat perfectly disguised protecting her young inside the tree,” says reader Brian Beckner.
Great Gray Owls
“While out in the woods looking for the elusive great gray owl, I heard a low hooting sound. I looked toward the source just in time to see two fly at each other. They went at each other a few times before they went in separate directions. This is one of the shots from the sequence that lasted 20 seconds. It’s hard to find one, so you can imagine my excitement finding two,” says reader Heidi Novak.
Barred Owls
“As I walk in my favorite wooded park, I always search for the elusive barred owls. I often hear their ‘who-cooks-for-you?’ call, but I struggle to find them. On this unusually warm April afternoon, I was in a hurry to get my exercise, I looked up and saw these two beauties sitting near each other. They watched me take their picture and eventually nodded off to sleep. Sometimes when you quit looking so hard for something, you find it!” says reader Karen Scott.
Branching Out
“My husband spotted this great gray owl while we were sitting on our cabin deck in western Wyoming. The owl seems so obvious when looking at this photo but in the wilderness surrounding our cabin, it just blended in with the tree and was extremely difficult to spot. I just loved that the owl sat on this little branch and watched us for about 10 minutes before swooping over us to go deeper into the forest,” says reader Kitty Drean.
Red Screech-Owl
“After much research, my wife and I traveled over 14 hours to an extraordinary park. We spent three days exploring and were fortunate to add to our life lists! The first day, we captured this image of a very red Eastern screech-owl. Truly a moment in time I will never forget!” says Rick Hamilton of Westminster, Maryland.
Great Horned Owl in Nest
“An expectant owl took over an osprey nest. After watching the nest for several days, I spotted the newborn,” says Ron Matason.
Winter Owl
“This is a photo of a great grey owl I found while driving in a boggy area in Minnesota. It was a very cold and gloomy winter day and I was hoping to see something to photograph. Before I knew it, there was the owl staring at me!” says Paul Danaher. Learn more about the owls of North America.
Expressive Burrowing Owls
“Burrowing owls are a fairly common site in south Florida near our winter home, and they tend to be quite protective of their underground nests. So when we saw this pair at a distance I moved closer, got down to ground level and captured this picture of the pair. I thought the result was priceless,” says Sharon Vokler.
Barn Owl in Snow
“I took this shot of an American barn owl while out in my pasture one morning in December. The bird was still sleeping when I saw him, so I ran back to the house to get my Canon sx 50,” says Jack Rudkin.
Snowy Owl on a Farm
“I live in northeast Ohio. My friends and I love to explore and experience the best of each season. This past year, there was a rare influx of snowy owls in Ohio. We heard there was one staying consistently at a farm, so we headed there, hoping to catch a glimpse. This magnificent bird was sitting on a post, seemingly waiting for us,” says Katie Heade.
Baby Owlets
“We are fortunate to have a pair of great horned owls that stay in our suburban neighborhood on a lake all year. They have nested in the same tree near our backyard for three straight years. This year they successfully raised four owlets! I shot this photo early in the morning while the young owlets were still awake and active. I took great care to not disturb the owlets or parents roosting nearby,” says reader Brent Barnes.
Owl Eyes
“I captured this great horned owl photo with a Nikon 5300 in the national forest on the edge of Sedona, Arizona. It was an early fall morning in 2018. This is the first great horned owl I have photographed, and his eyes are stunning,” says Kelly Isley.
Who Goes There?
“On a chilly winter afternoon in Howell, Michigan, I spotted this great horned owl spying out at me from a branch. The curious owl made me chuckle,”
says Laura Palmer.
