Look closely at that bark. Can you see it?
The great gray owl, also called the great grey owl, has plumage that combines grays, browns, and whites to perfectly mimic the textures of pine and fir trees. When it senses danger, it stretches out its body and narrows its eyes to erase its round silhouette. Its size is deceptive: it is one of the longest owls on the planet, but beneath all that fluffy plumage, it hides a small, lightweight body.
Its facial disc works like a parabolic antenna capable of detecting prey moving beneath 30 centimeters of snow, while the feathers on its wings absorb sound so it can hunt in absolute silence. Photographer Alan Murphy managed to capture it just before the forest swallowed it up again.
