Great Horned Owl
Superbowl
For owls that are superb.
Look at those faces and tell me it’s not a feathered cat.
I always see things calling it the "sky tiger" online (though never once in person fwiw) and it does sound fitting. GHO is a beast, but oh so beautiful as well.
This guy is my favorite bird of all time, and I love cats. Maybe there’s a connection, ha. Although IMO he also has the most iconic hoot of all time so that also gets him big points in my book.
The one I visit at the park near my job even sits there and hisses at me like an angry cat.
I don't know if we'll get GHO vs Eagle Owl in the final, but that'd be a toughy. I'd have to go with the home team, but those orange eyes of the Eagle are my fav color.
I have a tattoo of a GH owl.
Do we get to seeeeee?
Yeah! I gotta get someone to snap a picture for me but sure thang.
Burrowing Owl
I would love to give multiple votes. The goofy pic with the 3 burrowing owls was what got me into this community and I've liked them even more the more I learn about them. It's still a tight race, but it's sad to see them behind and maybe loosing this round. These cuties will be owl of the year 2024 in my heart!
They do have some of the most fun pics out of any owl. If you stick around, it shouldn't be long before you get some more of them. They are always popular, so I keep my eye out for good stories and photos of them.
Thanks for the heads up, I'll be on the lookout for more! Also, thank you so so much for collecting and posting all this!
No problem! I try to be here to give you more of what you want.
The tournament is fun, but also gives me some stats on what you guys like more or less, and it acts as a recruitment drive, pulling in new people that might not have been aware of us or been involved. It's a dynamic event that lets people participate in a way that doesn't require lurkers to chat, but still encourages them to.
It's a good window to the outside to show the mix of fun and education we focus on, and it shows me what the current interests of the community are. It's now apparent to me the makeup of users has changed as different owls are doing well this year opposed to last.
It makes the community healthier as a whole I think and gives us a rally point to kick off the upcoming year.
Pic #2 is me right now... plotting my revenge! Muahahaha!
😁
You'll be ready for him next time!
Listen, there's no denying the greatness of the Great Horned Owl - its right there in the name. They're cunning and majestic and have great "horns. "
But, counterpoint:
I will not try to dissuade you, but this pic begs me to mention something.
I avoid pics of babies and pics of more than one owl in choosing tournament pics. The babies look very different many times, and I feel it can be either an advantage or disadvantage how they look compared to an adult, so I stick with the adults.
Multiple owls I treat as a bit of an unfair advantage. Of course we want to see owls hanging out together, but it's not something most species do. Burrow is a great owl, but in a pic with three, we're multiplying the cuteness factor. If those owls were apart in different photos doing the same things, they'd be 3 alright pics. But combine them, and now it's waaaay cuter!
But that is something a GHO just wouldn't do as a typical owl that lives alone. Most owls don't like other owls because they are equal competitors in a game of life and death. If you focused on a single Burrowing Owl vs a single GHO, does that impact your choice?
To be fair, the social structure of Burrowing Owls is a typical characteristic they have, so one could just as easily say that makes their group behavior something that should be considered.
That's for you guys to decide, but it made me think of sharing some of the thoughts that go into how this contest is conducted.
To be fair, the social structure of Burrowing Owls is a typical characteristic they have
For me this is the selling point and the extra cuteness just the cherry. They also sometimes live with prairie dogs and, when threatened, will run into their burrow and pretend to be a rattle snake. Both very interesting... and undeniably cute.
Very fair.
I think I mentioned the rattlesnake defense the last round. That is a pretty nifty trick!
I love how silly they are
Wow, I can't believe we lost Screech Owl! That makes one of the banner slots open, as Screech won that last year.
This might have been one of the most competitive rounds we've had so far. So many times I checked in and Screech was closing in, but it never got the lead back.
You never know what will happen!
Tomorrow we have Buffy Fish and Saw Whet which could be just as close.
Burrowing owls are the better
Must...remain....impartial.... 😶
They're just so goofy
They are. Them and the Snowies probably have the best fun photos. They've got a lot of whacky behaviors.
Two fabulous looking owls with much going for each of them in different ways. I'd toss a coin this round if it wasn't for the "yeah it's windy and I'm not happy about it!" look that tips it. That's one big bird not to mess with!
I really liked that photo too. Stern, but fashionable with confidence.
As always, I will continue using my strategy of voting for the owl with the biggest ears
It's Short Ear's lucky day! 🤣