These guys definitely don’t make the traditional ‘hoot’ that some owls are known to do. Instead, they make this raspy, eerie sound that almost sounds like a scream. Very weird.

It isn’t often you will find these birds out in the open. Like most owls, they are nocturnal and during the day they usually hang out in tree cavities, dense stands of trees and of course barns and other spots well out of sight. These medium-sized owls can be found across most of the globe, including the contiguous United States. This particular owl is a captive one named Cupid, used for educational purposes.

You can listen to the odd sound they make here.

Sometimes photographers don’t have to work too hard to make their subjects look nice. Such was the case with this handsome fellow. Barn Owls are rarely seen out in the open so when I was given the opportunity to spend some time with one, I seized on it.

Cupid is two years old and was captive bred for educational programs. I was able to capture images from just about every angle and of every pose imaginable. For this shot, the owl itself coupled with the texture of the wood and those always beautiful, blue Colorado skies really made for a nice capture.

These medium-sized owls can be found across most of the globe, including the contiguous United States. They typically remain out of sight roosting in tree cavities, dense stands of trees and of course barns and other buildings.

The wingspan on these owls is surprisingly large given their relatively small stature. While only getting up to about 16 inches tall, those wings can spread as wide as four feet! That was something that definitely caught me off guard when I was photographing this handsome fellow at a photoshoot recently.

These medium-sized owls can be found across most of the globe, including the contiguous United States. They typically remain out of sight roosting in tree cavities, dense stands of trees and of course barns and other buildings.

Say hello to Cupid, an absolutely gorgeous two-year-old male Barn Owl. While I don’t really need any help finding raptors to photograph, this past weekend I took part in a workshop which allowed me the opportunity to get up close and personal with a few of them.

This was particularly exciting because it isn’t too often you get pictures of a Barn Owl, let alone get a chance to capture images like this. He flew many times and patiently posed while I and others snapped our shutters, giving us images from just about every angle imaginable.

Cupid is two years old and was captive bred for educational programs and he now serves as an ambassador for Wild Wings Environmental Education.

These medium-sized owls can be found across most of the globe, including the contiguous United States. They typically remain out of sight roosting in tree cavities, dense stands of trees and of course barns and other buildings.

I really, really want a good picture of these cool owls but this is the best I have been able to manage so far. A pair of Barn Owls at Barr Lake spends some time in a nest box. It can be hit or miss as to whether or not they are in there. On this day last month, at least one was. Now just need to get that awesome pic of them “in the wild.” 😉