It’s International Owl Awareness Day, and we’re celebrating these majestic birds with awesome owl photos and facts!

With fluffy feathers, large eyes and dramatic facial expressions, these birds of prey have long been fan favorites. There are 150 species of owls worldwide and 19 that call North America home, providing plenty of opportunities to spot these birds on public lands or in your backyard.

While they may look adorable, owls are fierce hunters. These well-adapted predators are silent hunters with excellent eyesight and hearing, allowing them to soar through the night sky in search of prey. Some scientists estimate that a single owl can eat 2,000 rodents a year.

Be sure to check out more owl photos – they’re a real hoot! https://on.doi.gov/owls

usfwspacific:

Photo by: B.Wolfe/USFWS

Today there is something to be thankful for at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge - Wisdom, the world’s oldest living, banded, wild bird has returned! In the picture above, she can be seen (on the left) preening her mate. Wisdom’s mate has been waiting within…

Check out this steaming eagle at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska! Sometimes a good perch in the sun on a cold day can feel so good. Photo by Mark Thompson, National Park Service.

This is something you don’t see every day! A red fox dives head first into the snow at Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. This photo captures the last half of the fox’s hunt for its prey. This fox launched his attack about 10 feet from the prey. By leaping, the fox avoids the noise of running at the target, which would alert his prey to danger.

Photo courtesy of Mary Frische.