This was the only owl I saw on my trip to Patagonia — a Magellanic horned owl. It may look like our great horned owls, but is a separate species. Also known as the lesser horned owl, they range from the southern tip of South America up to the central Andes. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
I’ve been birding for over 15 years by both sight and sound. And birds of prey are amazing. But there’s something about owls that is mesmerizing. Maybe it’s their large eyes. ‘Owls are considered wise because of their heightened senses and association with the night. Their night vision, in particular, impressed the Ancient Greeks, who believed that this vision was a result of a mystical inner light and associated the owl with the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena’. This is a stunning capture, Sean!
So so beautiful! I love that the only vibrant color in the composition is the bright yellow of those amazing eyes. Is this species a bit smaller than our great horned owl? — or just smaller ears (at least they look smaller!)
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
This was the only owl I saw on my trip to Patagonia — a Magellanic horned owl. It may look like our great horned owls, but is a separate species. Also known as the lesser horned owl, they range from the southern tip of South America up to the central Andes. Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/200th of a second.
Beautiful bird, Sean. I’m glad you were able to photograph it! Thanks for bringing it to us.
Stunning!
You looking at ME! let U take the photo & showed it’s beauty in natural setting
I don’t see how anyone could think this was a great horned owl. It’s quite obviously a very shitty horned owl.
LOVE! I’ll settle for the lesser of the two any day. . . he/she is peering into my soul!
I’ve been birding for over 15 years by both sight and sound. And birds of prey are amazing. But there’s something about owls that is mesmerizing. Maybe it’s their large eyes. ‘Owls are considered wise because of their heightened senses and association with the night. Their night vision, in particular, impressed the Ancient Greeks, who believed that this vision was a result of a mystical inner light and associated the owl with the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena’. This is a stunning capture, Sean!
So so beautiful! I love that the only vibrant color in the composition is the bright yellow of those amazing eyes. Is this species a bit smaller than our great horned owl? — or just smaller ears (at least they look smaller!)