Short-eared owl Jan 28, 2025

Short-eared owl

The short-eared owl, featured in today"s image, is a grassland-dwelling member of the owl family. Found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia, it"s one of the most widely distributed bird species. This raptor belongs to the genus Asio, whose members are characterized by feather tufts ("ears") on their head. The short-eared owl only reveals its tufts when feeling defensive.

© Dilshan Muthalib/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 28, 2018Winter scenery near Kuhmo, Finland
Jan 28, 2019Ancient groves in Australia
Jan 28, 2020US Coast Guard: Protecting us for 105 years
Jan 28, 2021Avatars of the Wolf Moon
Jan 28, 2022Short-eared owl
Jan 28, 2023The Bahamas as seen from the ISS
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Jan 28, 2026Whanganui National Park, Retaruke, New Zealand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 13, 2022Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Mar 6, 2019Dreaming of the Tyrrhenian Sea
Feb 11, 2022harlem
Jun 2, 2018Happy 50th for the National Trails System!
Jun 25, 2019Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
Jan 20, 2018Yellow-eyed penguins, Moeraki, New Zealand
Apr 30, 2018Swinging into International Jazz Day
Oct 29, 2019And the skies filled with bats…
Jul 11, 2020How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back
Oct 27, 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Mar 29, 2021Rising up from the black sand like rock gods
Mar 27, 2021Blink and you ll miss it
Jun 5, 2021Bird s-eye view on World Environment Day
Dec 3, 2021Frost on autumn leaves
Jan 27, 2019A memorial in Germany
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc–Detian Falls, Vietnam
Nov 1, 2023Native American Heritage Month
Mar 12, 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Sep 22, 2025Autumn equinox
Jun 20, 2019In celebration of America’s national bird
Mar 2, 2019You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
Dec 5, 2024Tufa formations in Mono Lake, California
Oct 20, 2021Feeling lazy? Today s your day.
Nov 11, 2018Poppies for Armistice Day
May 17, 2022Salt ponds of Maras, Peru
Sep 4, 2020A bull, some flowers, and a stratovolcano
May 7, 2021Deep in the North Woods wetlands
Mar 15, 2022Beware the Ides of March
Oct 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria
Oct 26, 2025National Pumpkin Day