JACKSON, Wyo. — What a hoot! This great gray owl gave Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer quite the stare-down this week in the snow.
As with all owls, the NPS writes that the great gray’s eyes are immobile; instead, the great gray remains vigilant with extremely flexible head movements.
This isn’t the first time Sulzer has captured the beauty of the tallest owl in North America, even though the National Park Service writes that this species can be notoriously difficult to spot as it blends perfectly with its forest surroundings.
That’s why its other names include Phantom of the North, or Great Gray Ghost, the NPS confirms.
The National Audubon Society (NAS) also notes that great grays are big nightbirds, and day sightings are particularly unique. While this species has no regular migration pattern, the NAS categorizes them as nomadic birds.
Great gray owls are currently a species of “Least Concern,” but NAS climate change models predict an overall loss of habitat for this species under future conditions, meaning they could potentially no longer be seen in the continental U.S.
