From Amel Nour
Camouflage of the Eastern Screech Owl
I never would have found this guy in a million years! 😒
Insane!! Incredible camouflage, actually; that's so incredible.
this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2025
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For owls that are superb.
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US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
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If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
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I was happy to see they took the photo with the owl doing the cat-style sliver of eyeball still peeping out. Usually they have the owl perfectly centered and zoomed in close with those big bright eyes showing and it's easy to think "that's hidden pretty well, but I still see it."
In a forest full of trees, with this little owl being about 10 feet up in a single random tree on any side of it, it couldn't get much more invisible.
Owl camo is amazing, and they can distinguish which trees they look more invisible in. They are true little ninjas.
That's so freaking cool... I've never seen an owl in the wild, I don't think. Hope I can spot one one day, but probably not with this level of stealth!
They're sneaky. My childhood home had several old big trees that housed a bunch of owls, plus some old buildings out back. Even though they were always there, I could hear them for hours every day (they have a specific song in my area) and they left pellets all over, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually seen one. We had barn owls, but I saw another kind a couple times with darker, more ruffley feathers that would definitely blend in with tree bark. Like op's owl but without the white. The thing was just standing in the middle of our gravel driveway for a few minutes. I swear it stood 2 feet tall it looked fucking huge. Then it just flew off without making a sound. Owls are fucking cool
They'll always catch you by surprise! 😊
I think I've only ever seen a Barn Owl in my yard when I was a little kid, and possibly a Barred Owl a few months ago as I was driving by a park, so only in a man-made environment. I certainly hear a bunch, so I know they're always around, but like this guy, I sure don't see them. I should take an owl tour.
Good thing they make so much noise when . . . when they, uh . . .
Uh oh
Critters can't see em coming, we can't see em hiding. The power combo.
No frickin way!!
A true master of its craft!