Get in the Owl-oween Spirit! 🦉

13 Shriek-Worthy Owl Photos, Finding Short-Eared Owls, and Who's That Owl?

                                                               

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Joy of Owls | October 2025

Get in the Owl-oween Spirit with Beautiful Owl Photos When it comes to spooky birds, owls take the crown. These iconic Halloween symbols capture imaginations and attract superstition with their haunting hoots, glaring eyes, and fierce hunting skills. Celebrate owls in all of their mysterious, enchanting glory with our gallery of 13 owl images.

Burrowing Owl. Photo: Michael Janusz/Audubon Photography Awards

Can You Guess the Mystery Owl? Another day, another owl to unmask! Name this owl using the silhouetted image above and the three hints below! Clue #1: This owl has a habit of roosting in old and abandoned buildings. Clue #2: These owls don't hoot—they hiss, grunt, and scream. Some say this owl's cries gave rise to Ireland's Banshee legend. Clue #3: In South Texas and Mexico, this bird is known as lechuza, a shape-shifting witch that brings bad tidings. Here's a bonus hint: This bird's four-letter banding code, which researchers often use as shorthand for species names, is ABOW. Click here to learn more about this bird and reveal the answer.

Photo: Marti Phillips/Audubon Photography Awards

Whooo Knows What the Future Holds? For thousands of years, cultures across the world have turned to birds for divine guidance. Similar to the related practice of tarot, oracle decks have long been used for deeper reflection and spiritual insight. Now, two oracle decks released this year deliver these messages through familiar birds like owls and hummingbirds. Read on for more on these mystical cards.

An Almanac of Birds: 100 Divinations for Uncertain Days. Photo: Courtesy of Maria Popova

Seasonal Spotlight: Short-eared Owls In the long, cold months between migration seasons, there's nothing like watching a Short-eared Owl hunt in the wild. Hauntingly beautiful, with long, graceful wings and keen yellow eyes set in a distinct facial disk, Short-ears are a winter birding favorite. Keep reading for tips on how to find these amazing, accessible raptors near you.

Short-eared Owl. Photo: Scott Suriano/Audubon Photography Awards

Thanks for Giving a Hoot! With you in our flock, we can protect the places birds and people need. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider giving a gift to ensure birds can deliver joy to us all for generations to come. Donate now

Eastern Screech-Owls. Photo: Xianwei Zeng/Audubon Photography Awards

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