The Grey Morph

 

The Grey Morph

The first time we came across this little fellow was completely by chance. Jannis was riding her bike along the Poudre Trail and she came across several people looking up into a tree. She stopped to ask what they were looking at and they showed her the owl. She texted me very excited to tell me she saw the own and when she got home she showed me a very blurry picture on her iPhone. I asked her where it was and she said there were a bunch of people there and if I went back I wouldn’t miss it. So I grabbed my camera gear and headed the 2 miles to the spot on the trail she mentioned. As I approached, sure enough I saw the small crowd so I knew exactly where to look.  Little did I know that this would be the first of dozens and dozens of time we would see this little owl.

So what kind of owl is this you may ask? This is an Eastern Screech Owl. The Eastern Screech Owl is a small but formidable predator, a master of camouflage and a quiet sentinel of the night. With its compact, stocky frame and large, round head adorned with subtle ear tufts, this owl blends effortlessly into the bark of trees, making it nearly invisible during the day. Found across wooded areas of the eastern and central United States, including parts of Colorado, it thrives in forests, parks, and even suburban neighborhoods.

Eastern Screech Owls come in two main color morphs—reddish-brown and grey—both patterned with intricate streaks and spots that mimic the texture of tree bark. Their bright yellow eyes seem to glow in the dim light, filled with an intensity that belies their small size. Despite being only about 6 to 10 inches tall, they are fearless hunters, preying on insects, small mammals, birds, and even amphibians with remarkable precision.

At dusk, their presence is revealed not by sight but by sound. Rather than a traditional “hoot,” they emit a soft, eerie trill or a descending whinny-like call, a sound both haunting and beautiful as it drifts through the trees. Their calls bring a sense of mystery to the night, a reminder that even in the darkness, life stirs and watches from the shadows.

These owls are fiercely adaptable, thriving in both deep forests and backyard trees, often nesting in hollow cavities or old woodpecker holes. Whether perched silently against a tree trunk or gliding unseen through the night, the Eastern Screech Owl is a symbol of quiet resilience, an elusive yet ever-present guardian of the twilight hours.

We have only seen two Grey Morphs together once

6 minute drive then a 5 minute walk from here