I saw this while scrolling and didn’t recognize what type of owl it was at first. Then I saw it was just watered down! 😆
Photo by Larry Strack
A Burrowing Owl, not at all excited about the torrential rain in South Dakota. (Not snow flakes in the background…it’s heavy rain.) Was happy to get this little guy perched on a post near the road.
Most owls are not waterproof. They actually struggle to fly (and therefore hunt) during rainy weather.
Weather resistant is probably a more appropriate term for them. The weight of the water clinging to their feathers seems to be the main issue. It’s like when you try to run in a swimming pool. You can do it, it’s just not sensible to get around that way. And for a wild animal who’s success is caught up in maintaining a calorie surplus, flying while burdened down doesn’t make sense.