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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A monster view in Scotland
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Chapel of St. Michel on Lake Serre-Ponçon, Hautes-Alpes, France
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A bite of ancient history
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Red squirrel in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
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How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back
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Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, China
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It’s National Dolphin Day!
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Remembering Jimmy Carter
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Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
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The crossroads of empires
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World Bicycle Day
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Invisible no longer
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Celebrating Minnesota’s statehood
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Kirkjufell, Iceland
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Signs of life in the Empty Quarter
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A holiday beacon of light
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Siblings that play together…
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Arctic fox in Norway
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It s not always sunny in Abu Simbel…
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Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
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South Stack Lighthouse, Holy Island, Wales
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Regional Park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli, Italy
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Mardi Gras
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Provence blooms with lavender at Sénanque Abbey
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Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
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Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
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The Feathers at Frenchman Coulee near Vantage, Washington
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Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
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Noctilucent clouds