Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) & Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel

Description:

This photo was taken on Isla Genovese in the Galapagos. This volcanic island has miles of fissues in the lava flows which provides ideal nesting cavities for the ten's of thousands of Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels. The Galapagos form of the Short-eared Owl is not uncommon on the island and readily forages during daylight hours. The owls on this island are a much darker tawny in the light areas of their plumage as opposed to those in the western U.S.