After Birdorable fan Ashira sent us her lovely warbler coloring pages, she forwarded this Great Horned Owl image to us. Doesn't it look great?

If you’ve colored in any of our Birdorable coloring pages, we’d love to see what you’ve done! Thank you for sending the Great Horned Owl page to us, Ashira!

A few months ago we were asked by the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre if we could provide our Burrowing Owl coloring page to be included in their resource material kit. Naturally, we were very happy to oblige! The Centre kindly sent us this photo of a rather impressionistic coloring sheet making an appearance alongside some young visitors and a very special guest, George the Burrowing Owl.

Photo credit: Laurie Ewen www.sboic.ca

If you’ve colored in any of our Birdorable coloring pages, we’d love to see what you’ve done! For more Burrowing Owl fun, be sure to check out George's Blog!

This week, we're thrilled to showcase our latest t-shirt offering: the "Owl Fan" design, a must-have for all owl enthusiasts out there! This unique t-shirt features an assembly of five of our charming Birdorable owls, each one capturing the essence of what makes these birds so captivating. The lineup includes the majestic Great Grey Owl, the ethereal Barn Owl, the striking Barred Owl, the endearing Burrowing Owl, and the petite Saw-whet Owl, all rendered in our adorable Birdorable style.

Whether you're looking to treat yourself or searching for the perfect Christmas gift for the owl aficionados in your life, this t-shirt is bound to impress. Its blend of style and whimsy makes it an ideal choice for casual outings, birdwatching trips, or simply cozying up at home. Each owl is depicted with attention to detail and personality, making this t-shirt a walking tribute to these magnificent creatures of the night.

So, embrace your love for owls and add a touch of bird-themed charm to your wardrobe, or give someone the joy of owl-themed fashion this Christmas with our "Owl Fan" t-shirt. It's not just a garment; it's a statement of admiration for one of nature's most fascinating avian wonders.

Today, we're excited to introduce one of the most adorable avian species you're likely to encounter: the Northern Saw-whet Owl. With its big, captivating eyes and small stature, it measures just 7 to 8 inches (17.8 to 20.3 cm), making this the smallest owl in Eastern North America. 

The origins of its unique name stem from a charming mix-up. A member of the National Audubon Society once heard the call of a Barn Owl, which is reminiscent of a saw being sharpened on a whetting stone, and mistakenly thought it was the call of this smaller owl. Thus, the name "Saw-whet Owl" was born.

Since 1997, the Ned Smith Center in Pennsylvania has spearheaded crucial research into the movements and ecology of the Saw-whet Owl. Every autumn, a dedicated team comprising both researchers and volunteers engages in a remarkable project. They gently catch, band, and release hundreds of these owls across three banding stations in central Pennsylvania. This research effort has been incredibly successful; over the years, more than 5,000 owls have been banded, significantly enhancing our understanding of the migration patterns and behaviors of this elusive species.

The findings from this research have been instrumental in shedding light on the secretive life of the Saw-whet Owl, helping to map its movements and contribute to its conservation. To dive deeper into this fascinating project and learn more about these captivating creatures, be sure to visit the Saw-whet Owl Research Blog.

We've just added another owl to Birdorable. This time it's the Great Grey Owl, also known as Lapland Owl. It is America's tallest owl with the largest wingspan, although the Great Horned Owl and Snowy Owl are heavier. The bird lives across the Northern Hemisphere, in the taiga, boreal and mountainous forests of North America and Eurasia. Great Grey Owls can locate prey underneath two feet of snow and will plunge right in to catch a rodent they didn't even see. Pretty cool, he? Here's a nice video of a this amazing bird in action:

Have you ever heard a Barred Owl hoot its distinctive call: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you, all? ...? This is our Birdorable version of the Barred Owl, our newest bird. This beautiful owl, with its dark eyes, pale face and yellow beak, can be found across Canada, the eastern United States and into Central America. We had the pleasure of seeing a couple of these birds at raptor rehabilitation demonstrations this year. These two pictures are from the Barred Owl of the Northern Illinois Raptor Center. Isn't this the cutest thing?

Two weeks ago we saw the following Barred Owl at Great Swamp Sanctuary in South Carolina. It was a gorgeous sight to see one of these magnificent birds in the wild.

This cute owl is now available in Birdorable style on t-shirts and gifts in our shop, both in regular and Santa-version. For more cute birds see Meet the Birds.

Here are ten fun facts about the Snowy Owl. Don't forget to check out our customizable Snowy Owl t-shirts and gifts and other cute Birdorable owls.

1. Snowy Owls are diurnal, which means that unlike most other owls they are active and hunt during the day and night.
2. The diet of Snowy Owls consists mainly of lemmings. They are known to sit and wait for their prey and spend most of their time perched still and silent on prominent lookouts.
3. Lemming populations are cyclic and in years when lemming populations are down Snowy Owls often leave the arctic regions and fly south in search of food. Because of this, about once every four years Snowy Owls are found as far south as the northern and central United States.
4. An adult Snowy Owl can eat three to five lemmings per day, or up to 1,600 per year.
5. The feathers of Snowy Owls have no pigment, leaving more space for air which helps them to keep warmer because air is such a good insulator.
6. Their legs and toes are heavily feathered to protect them from the harsh weather in cold arctic regions.
7. Snowy Owls often hang out at airports, perhaps because the wide open spaces remind them of the tundra.
8. Although Snowy Owls have few predators, they still have to be watchful of arctic foxes, wolves and other animals during the nesting season. Males defend the nest by standing guard nearby while the female incubates the eggs and broods the young. When a predator approaches both parents will dive-bomb (even wolves!) and try to distract them away from the nest.
9. The Snowy Owl is also known as the Arctic Owl or Great White Owl. A group of owls has many different names, including a bazaar, glaring, parliament, stooping and a wisdom of owls.
10. The breeding range of the Snowy Owl is circumpolar, ranging across the northern regions of Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaskia and Canada.

The Burrowing Owl is the second owl that we've added to Birdorable this week. These little cuties are about the size of an American Robin. They like to hang out underground in burrows that were dug out by small mammals like prairie dogs and ground squirrels. Burrowing Owls appear to be diurnal as you can often see them foraging during the day, but they actually hunt all day and night long, although they tend to avoid the mid-day heat. In the United States Burrowing Owls are distributed from the Mississippi west to the Pacific and you can also find them in Florida and the Carribean Islands. They live in dry open areas with low vegetation.

Photo by BGale

Source: WikipediaThe Barn Owl is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world. You can find it on all continents; almost anywhere except for polar and desert regions. There are about 46 different subspecies of Barn Owl in the world. The North American one is the largest, weighing more than twice as much as the smallest race from the Galapagos Islands. Barn Owls are experts in hunting for small ground mammels, like mice, rats and gophers. And they need to catch a lot of foot! Barn Owls are able to consume twice as much food as other owls in comparison to their weight. A young Barn Owl can eat 25.000 mice a year!

Photo by nicebiscuit

Photo by Bryan Olesen

The Barn Owl is our 174th Birdorable bird and the answer to our last Spot the Birdorable. If you like our Birdorable Barn Owl you may also like our other birds of prey.