Hoot! Hoot! An Afternoon at Black Hill Regional Park 🦉

Each year, the Owl Moon Raptor Center hosts an event to educate the public about birds of prey. The event features live raptor displays and a series of informative talks. This past weekend, I had the opportunity of attending the 10th Annual Owl Moon Raptor Festival at Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland, where I learned some fun facts about owls and had the chance to capture some close-up photos of these incredible birds!

One of my favorite owls is the Barn Owl. Their heart-shaped faces make them adorable! One fun fact about them is that they typically live an average of 2-4 years in the wild, but can live up to 25 years in captivity! Their feathers on their wings have a fringed surface that helps to reduce noise to promote silent flight.

The Great Horned Owl, a large owl species that are known for their distinctive horn-like ear tufts. Known for their fierce hunting abilities, these owls are both aggressive and highly skilled predators. One fun fact about them is their exceptional hearing— they can hear from up to 10 miles away!

Last but not least, the smallest and cutest owl is the Eastern Screech Owl. Despite their name, they don’t screech; instead, they produce soft, trilling calls. They can have two different color morphs: gray and red, to help them blend into different habitats.