23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
American Barn Owl swooping over a field

An American Barn Owl hunting over a field of tall grass. While American Barn Owl's are generally nocturnal, they will occasionally continue hunting in the daytime when they need more food or face little harassment. I had the great fortune of seeing two different barn owls this morning and watched this particular individual hunt over this section of grass for almost 30 minutes.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Fremont, California, United States of America
Camera: OM-1MarkII
Copyright: © Steven McKerrall