IF there’s a pecking order when it comes to camouflage, this hidden owl shows he’s no bird-brain. The cheeky chap was caught blending perfectly into a tree in India – by a surprised snapper on the search for a leopard. Varun Jain, 30, a hobbyist photographer from Chennai in southern India, was on safari in […]
IF there’s a pecking order when it comes to camouflage, this hidden owl shows he’s no bird-brain.
The cheeky chap was caught blending perfectly into a tree in India – by a surprised snapper on the search for a leopard.
Varun Jain, 30, a hobbyist photographer from Chennai in southern India, was on safari in Pench National Park in central India.
He said: “It took us almost ten minutes to clearly understand that we are looking at an owl.
“It had completely blended in with nature, as if it was part of that tree bark.”
The photographer was with a group of mates, and all were keenly peering at the tree branches – in vain, to spot a big cat.
They eventually realised that hiding among the foliage was an owl perfectly matching the tree’s mottled bark.
Jain said: “We would have completely missed the owl, if not for very small movement by the owl, catching my attention.
“However it was very difficult to distinguish the owl from the entire frame; it was even more difficult to show the owl to others.”
According to Sanctuary Asia, there are 33 species of owls found in every kind of habitat in India.
The birds of prey feed on insects, fish and small birds, reptiles and mammals.
Some, like the one pictured here, live in a tree hollow, while others move into empty barns, abandoned buildings or rocky surroundings.
