No, those aren’t really horns on the great horned owl, shown here blending in nicely with its surroundings in central Florida. The distinctive tufts of feathers on top of its head are known as ‘plumicorns.’ They have nothing to do with hearing—instead, they’re thought to be used to show expression and for camouflage. Feel free to impress your friends with this bit of trivia during the Great Backyard Bird Count, a four-day event in February that invites participants to help monitor bird populations.
Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
Today in History
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Jupiter and the Galilean moons
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Boating on the Bojo
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Haaga Rhododendron Park
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Nazca boobies, Wolf Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
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Roman bridge of Córdoba, Spain
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Ministry of Fun Santa School
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Colorful cows of the reef
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Przewalskis horses, Hustai National Park, Mongolia
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Relationship status: It s complicated
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National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Welcome to my neck of the woods
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Frog Month
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International Beaver Day
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Christmas market, St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
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Sand dunes in the Sahara, Algeria
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Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
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Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
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Four Sisters, thousands of trees
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Labor Day
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At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
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A picture-perfect day on Trillium
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Black History Month
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Evidence of human habitation
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Keep shining
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Islands that turned the tide
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Glenfinnan Viaduct
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Art Basel Miami Beach
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The forecast calls for blooms
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The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic