Patricia

I have seen quite a few owls because I am retired and have been fortunate to be able to travel to several other countries to see birds.  (Back when one could travel -- this is early 2021!)  We once saw a Spectacled Owl in Panama and I got the first photo below.  I don' t recall realizing this at the time, but I must have been looking at the owl's back.  I just learned from this course that the front is buffy and un-streaked!  Owls are tricky with their ability to turn their heads so far. Speaking of their heads, I also took the second picture, in Mexico, of the back of a Pygmy Owl's head -- showing the false eyes. In this case I was looking at the front of the bird and seeing the back of the head!   (I think this is a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, but in the place where I saw it it could have been one of a couple of species.) And lastly, here is another picture of the same Pygmy Owl.