A special Sunday event: our eighth annual photo collection celebrating the magnificent birds of prey. These nocturnal hunters hail from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, and are depicted here in photos from recent years. If you have some time today before the big game (or are skipping the event entirely), we invite you to take a look.
Superb Owl Sunday VIII
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![An owl flies through a snowstorm, its talons outstretched.]()
Read moreA Siberian owl stretches out its talons while flying in a snowstorm. #
Tajborg / Getty -
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![A little owl stands among blooming pink heather.]()
Read moreA little owl stands among blooming pink heather on managed moorland, in Nidderdale, Yorkshire Dales, England. #
Anne Coatesy / Getty -
![A close view of a snowy owl that is looking over its shoulder toward the camera, its eye half-closed.]()
Read moreA close view of a snowy owl, seen in Anchorage, Alaska. #
Carl Auer / 500px / Getty -
![Two long-eared owls sit side by side on the end of a branch.]()
Read moreTwo long-eared owls, photographed in the Netherlands, rest on a branch. #
Miras Wonderland / Getty -
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![An owl and a harrier fight in mid-air.]()
Read moreA short-eared owl fights with a northern harrier. #
Phil Seu Photography / Getty -
![Three small owls perch together on a branch.]()
Read moreSpotted owlets, photographed on May 25, 2023, gather on a branch in Kathmandu. #
Prakash Mathema / AFP / Getty -
![A snowy owl sits atop a fence post.]()
Read moreA snowy owl sits on a fence post beside a field in Canada. #
Donna Feledichuk / Getty -
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![A small owl is held, partially wrapped in a blanket.]()
Read moreAn injured Eurasian eagle-owl is cared for in Sivas, Turkey, on January 27, 2024. The bird was discovered on its own in a private garden. Following treatment, it will be released back into its natural environment. #
Muzaffer Akyuz / Anadolu / Getty -
![An owl flies above a riverbed.]()
Read moreA short-eared owl flies over a riverbed in Yoshikawa, Japan. #
D3_Plus D Naruse / Getty -
![A great horned owl and three owlets nest in a cactus.]()
Read moreA great horned owl and three owlets nest in a saguaro cactus. #
Carol Gray / Getty -
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![Water drips off the head of a wet owl, its feathers matted down.]()
Read moreSnickers, a great horned owl, is sprayed down with water by a volunteer at Liberty Wildlife, an animal-rehabilitation center and hospital, as afternoon temperatures climbed above 110 degrees Fahrenheit on July 26, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. #
Mario Tama / Getty -
![An owl perches on a branch at sunrise.]()
Read moreAn owl perches on a branch at sunrise. #
Wirestock / Getty -
![A white owl with spotted wings and large talons stands in a snowy field.]()
Read moreA snowy owl, photographed in Finland, hunts at sunrise. #
Krzysztof Baranowski / Getty -
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![A little owl peeks from behind a snowdrift.]()
Read moreA little owl peeks from behind a snowdrift. #
Tamer Yilmaz / Getty -
![A close view of an owl's face]()
Read moreA close view of a Ural owl, seen in Chomutov, Czech Republic #
Jindrich Pavelka / 500px / Getty -
![An owl carries a vole in its beak while flying toward a nest in a broken tree trunk.]()
Read moreA male great gray owl, photographed in Finland, carries a vole to a nesting female. #
Krzysztof Baranowski / Getty -
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![An owl rests on a beach at sunset.]()
Read moreA snowy owl rests on a beach at sunset on Long Island, New York. #
Scott Heaney / iStockphoto / Getty -
![A close view of an owl's face]()
Read moreA Eurasian eagle-owl is cared for in Altay, Xinjiang, China, on January 22, 2024. #
CFoto / Future Publishing / Getty -
![A pair of spotted owlets cuddles on a branch.]()
Read moreA pair of spotted owlets cuddles on a branch. #
Anuj Jain / Getty -
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![A white owl flies above snow-covered ground.]()
Read moreA snowy owl flies over the frozen tundra in Canada. #
Dave Oxford / Getty -
![A close view of a barn owl]()
Read moreA close view of a barn owl #
Tony Umana / Getty -
![Two owls perch in a tree as another bird flies close by.]()
Read moreLong-eared owls perch in a tree in Beyobası village, in the Sincan district of Ankara, Turkey, on January 14, 2024. #
Rasit Aydogan / Anadolu / Getty -
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![A long-eared owl looks down toward the camera.]()
Read moreA long-eared owl, seen in Romania #
Richard Constantinoff / Getty -
![An owl, seen in silhouette, lands on a post at sunset.]()
Read moreA barn owl lands on a post at sunset. #
Wirestock / Getty -
![A windblown owl perches on a branch.]()
Read moreA Eurasian eagle-owl named Flaco sits in a tree in New York's Central Park on February 6, 2023. The owl, who resided at the Central Park Zoo, flew the coop after someone vandalized his exhibit by cutting through stainless-steel mesh. A year later, Flaco remains free, apparently thriving in the city. #
Seth Wenig / AP -
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![An owl rests in a hole in a tree trunk.]()
Read moreAn eastern screech owl rests in a hole in a tree trunk in Quebec, Canada. #
Cyrielle Beaubois / Getty -
![An owl flies above a field.]()
Read moreA short-eared owl on the hunt, in the United Kingdom #
Gemredding / Getty -
![An owl high in a tree tilts its head, looking toward the camera.]()
Read moreA northern hawk-owl, seen in Norway, tilts its head for a good look. #
Petter Nass / Getty -
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