Tag: Owl

Bald eagle’s porch attack on Yorkie warrants another look

A recent owl attack on a man and his dog is reminiscent of a bald eagle attack on a Yorkie that was captured on video.

News item: Owl swoops toward dog and returns seconds later to attack the dog’s owner this week in Medfield, Mass. The dog is OK and its owner is nursing minor head wounds.

Reaction: Large birds of prey can be territorial, especially during fall/winter nesting seasons. They might also perceive small dogs as prey.

The incident, which was not captured on video, is reminiscent of a 2022 bald eagle attack on a Yorkie in broad daylight in British Columbia.

That extraordinary scene, which includes frantic yelps and a nearly successful porch theft of the Yorkie, was caught on video. The footage is posted below and might serve as a reminder to keep small pets close at all times.

Can you spot the rarely seen Iowa critter in striking image?

Can you spot the rarely seen barn owl in a striking image shared recently by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources?

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has shared a spectacular image showing an expansive view through rock walls.

The agency instructed Facebook followers: “If you think this photo can’t get any more impressive, look a little closer.”

The image was captured by Kaleb Osier at Blackhawk Point Wildlife Management Area. Bosier’s Instagram description reads, simply: “Walk away from my jeep and then walk back.”

Photo: Kaleb Osier via IDNR

But the image also shows a seldom-seen barn owl that appears to have been spooked and is prepared to fly.

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“Spot the barn owl?” The IDNR asks. “It’s not often you get a glimpse of this state-endangered species.”

The owl is easy to spot upon casual inspection.

Barn owl facts: Stands about 16 inches tall, heart-shaped face, does not hoot and call is a “long, hissing shriek,” often found in vacant wooden barns.

The IDNR stated in the comments that barn owls have been endangered in Iowa since 1970.

Can you spot the hidden owl? ‘Retweet when you find it’

Can you spot the hidden owl on the image accompanying this post?

A U.K.-based photographer on Saturday shared an image showing a gnarled section of tree trunk and asked his followers to look for the camouflaged critter.

“Retweet when you find it,” Carl Bovis, a renowned birder, directed via Twitter.

Bovis authorized the use of his image and FTW Outdoors, likewise, asks viewers if they can spot the main subject.

The number of retweets surpassed 5,000 as of Monday morning. Many followers, obviously, spotted the owl peering from its perch in a hollowed portion of tree.

Some, however, did not.

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Reads one comment: “A clue to what was being looked for would of helped. The gnarly wood on the far left looked like an ancient mud slide with cow like creature preserved in the earth.”

Bovis told FTW Outdoors: “The species is a Little Owl, and the photo was taken earlier in the year on farmland on the Somerset Levels. Little Owls live in tree holes.”

The little owl (Athene noctuca) is sometimes referred to as the owl of Athena, with the genus name commemorating the Greek goddess.

©Carl Bovis

Also referred to as the owl of Minerva, the little owl was a prominent symbol in Old World civilizations, associated with wisdom and intelligence.

The owls can measure 8 inches and can live about 15 years in the wild. Their habitat includes savannas and grasslands, and prey includes everything from worms to small vertebrates.

Like most owls, little owls are masters of camouflage. The owl’s location on the Bovis image is circled above.

Watch: Bald eagle ‘dad’ knocked from perch by great horned owl

For a bald eagle pair in Pittsburgh, among the threats to parenting is a great horned owl that keeps knocking the male eagle off his perch.

For a bald eagle pair in Pittsburgh, Pa., among the threats to parenting is a great horned owl that keeps knocking the male eagle from his perch.

The accompanying nest-cam footage shows the larger owl, in a blur, strike the eagle from behind and send him sprawling from a branch near the nest. (The clip also shows this in slow motion.)

Momma eagle, clearly concerned, rises briefly before resting back atop her three eggs. The male eagle, apparently unhurt, eventually returns to the nest to resume guard duty.

According to 2 CBS Pittsburgh, this was the second time the owl was caught on video blind-siding the eagle.

Although this might seem like bizarre great horned owl behavior, it could be that the owl hopes to displace both eagles and claim their nest.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, great horned owls rarely build their own nests. “They usually adopt a nest that was built by another species, but they also use cavities in live trees, dead snags, deserted buildings, cliff ledges, and human-made platforms,” Cornell Lab states on its website.

Great horned owls, which can boast 5-foot wingspans, occasionally prey on large raptors, including hawks and other owls.

The great horned owl certainly is not the only threat to the budding Hays Eagles family. The live nest-cam recently captured footage showing a raccoon unsuccessfully trying to raid the nest for its eggs.

According to the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, the eggs were hatched Feb. 12, Feb. 15 and Feb. 19.

The nest-cam is run in a partnership with PixCams and Audubon includes this disclaimer: “This webcam shows live views of Bald Eagles in nature. Some content may not be suitable for all audiences.”