They're great owls. I know I've gotten to see at least 2 in person.

I believe they are the largest tropical owl.

Their performance was pretty good last year in OotY, and they'd make a great winner.

Samantha the Barred Owl is burrito-wrapped so her carers can trim her beak and talons. She was an ambassador owl at a bat clinic (Save the Bats) which is fitting because today begins Bat Conservation Week.

Ambassador for Save the Bats?! 🤨

Samantha: "I love bats, they're delicious!"

Wow, she's had a crazy life.

Sam (short for Samantha) was found in April of 2010 in Alabama as an orphaned nestling with injuries to her right wing and wounds on her lower back. It is believed that she fell out of her nest and was attacked by a dog.

She began her rehabilitation journey at the Alabama Wildlife Center for a short time until she was transferred to the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University. Sam had surgery to place pins in her wing to align the fracture. After removing the pins and going through physical therapy, it was determined that she was unable to move her right wing well enough to fly and could not be released back to the wild. She was transferred to the Organization for Bat Conservation on July 10, 2010, and then to the Stage Nature Center in February 2018. Because Sam was raised by people from a very young age, she is considered an “imprint”.

Imprints like her often identify with people more than they do other members of their species, which is why she will sometimes greet people by calling out when she hears or sees them.

Very cool bird! I've never heard of it before. What a fitting name.

The species is renowned for its enormous nests, several of which it builds during the breeding season. Unusually for a wading bird, the species constructs its nest with an internal nesting chamber where the eggs are laid. Both parents incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.

Very odd semi-webbed feet too. I'll have to read more on these guys.

I was thinking this is some African type bird nest they took over, and Google agrees with me, but doesn't have any suggestions on what type of bird.

This huge nest is one of my fav photos of an "owl nest," 🤣

That looks so cool!

What kind of nest is that?

Yeah, the snow part is what had me skeptical.

This is what ours normally look like, and at least they blend in with trees and leaves.

Black is looking more like a predator's dinner to me!

I feel they tried to make it blend in, as it doesn't look like their regular logo:

They should have at least put Rust Eze on the side though.

Perhaps a friend told him to invest in Pokemon cards and he misheard?

Huh... Maybe there is something to the more cold=more black squirrels theory...

I wonder why there aren't more black animals then. 🤔

I used to see a Jetta parked near my spot with a Nazi eagle gripping a VW logo. I think that's a different type of Supreme logo though. Was always very tempted to interact with that particular vehicle. 🤨

I think it must have just been someone's "friend" and not someone who lived here, and thankfully I haven't seen it in a few months.

Looks like there is a Lemons event in West Virginia this weekend, so quite possible. This sighting is in eastern Pennsylvania, but right by the turnpike entrance.

I thought it was actually a smashed car being towed at first and I was looking at how the trunk would have gotten smashed like that until I noticed the overall theme 😄

I had never seen any in person before, but this is the third I've seen this year. The one theory in the wiki says they concentrate around the Great Lakes, and they think this might be some advantage as the black keeps them warmer in the cold.

This better not be a harbinger of a horrible winter. 😔

The only downside to opossums are their sadly short lifespan and their stinky poo! Otherwise, perfect angels! 🥰

I won't encourage anyone to keep one as a pet, as ours get very select and diverse diets, including stuff most people won't want to keep in their house (whole prey, basically), and again, I feel their poo is one of the nastiest smells at the clinic.

Related:

Female Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) glaring down at me

I was doing some native wildflower landscaping under the tree she was nesting in and apparently making too much noise. I heard her moving around inside the nest box and looked up to the most evil glare I ever did see.

A quick cell shot and I did my groundskeeping somewhere else for a little while.

Same owl and photographer

That's a solid clone! He's mastered an extremely advanced jitsu!

Though he probably doesn't like it stealing his lunch... 🤔😂