Eurasian Eagle Owl has already taken down the even bigger Blakiston’s Fish Owl, and the tiny but adorable Flammulated Owl. Now it’s got its eyes on a medium sized one: the Morepork! This robust and mighty owl is hard not to like. It’s got much of the same great qualities of the Great Horned: massive, well patterned body, crushing talons rivaling the largest flighted birds, and a wonderful hoot.
Morepork has thus far only taken on other Southern Hemisphere owls, having stopped Australia’s Barking Owl and Africa’s Milky Eagle Owl. Representing the island nation of New Zealand and the fandom of Discworld, Morepork has had a great fan base this year. It even picked up some vegan support, running on it’s meatless Maori name, Ruru. Will this silly little hawk owl be able to deal with the Eagle Owl?
Who will be the second banner owl and our next semi-finalist? Upvote your choice below!
#superbowl #owloftheyear2024
Eurasian Eagle Owl
That’s one cute blowfish.
Totoro!
That is exactly why I included it! I wanted to balance the toughness with something cute.
It is actually a photo of Flaco, the famously “liberated” NYC owl.
Flaco!!
My neighbour
totorothe Eurasian eagle owl
I wasn’t sure if that was a real pic or not, but it is actually a photo of dearly departed Flaco, may he roost in peace.
I literally came here to vote for the morepork but this last picture has 100% swayed me it’s gotta be the fish owl what an owl what an owl
Morepork is still in it, but that Flaco pic is doing EEO a bunch of good!
This one was a tough match up but totoro was the deciding factor here
I thought it would be well received. You guys have not let me down!
Morepork / Ruru
Snowy vs Crested had me on the edge of my seat all day! There were a number of back and forth moments, and by the time I went to sleep, Crested was still up by around 4 votes. I thought that was it for one of the top owls.
The overnight vote hasn’t felt too big this year, but it was just enough to get the Snowy the last push it needed!
Will the people that supported the Crested come back to Snowy, or will that desire for change come back behind the Barn Owl tomorrow and take down the Snowy?
Heartbreaker!
It was such a rally and I didn’t expect it at all.
I was legitimately shocked when I checked the polls this morning that it reversed.
It’s a relief to me, as there weren’t really that many decent pics left of Crested would go another round or 2, but I would have figured something out. I had started coming up with a Plan B.
You all have got me very interested in Barn vs Snowy, as I had been expecting Snowy to go to the finals, but I’m curious if Barn Owl will get a push now to overtake the Snowy.
I normally just look at the pretty pictures but im reallllyy curious how the name more pork came to be.
Oh, this one is easy! It is the English onomontapeia for their call. The Maori heard “ruru” and the Brits heard “more pork.”
Let me know what you think!
I mean I can hear it but its not so in your face that I would think about naming it that.
Have you tried listening to it after taking your ration of Navy strength rum? 😁
good point. I could see a bunch of men drinking to excess in the woods naming it that from the call. I can just imagine the conversation that would lead to it.
What’s the point of colonizing if you don’t get to rename all the things that have already been named for thousands of years? /s
Morepork is a fun name for the weirdness factor, but Ruru sounds more accurate and is a cuter name IMO.
Menacing look from Moar Pork for me!
Moar Pork is good! Nobody has used that yet 😁
