Great Gray Owl Perches on Photographer’s Lens: Incredible Moment

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Have you ever seen a Great Gray Owl up close? Well, one photographer had the privilege of capturing this magnificent bird sitting on a snowy fence in Cote-de-Beaupre near Quebec, Canada. Anaïs Trépanier was snapping the owl when the bird took flight in her direction and then swooped down to land on her camera lens.

The Great Gray Owl is the largest species of owl in the world, with a length of 24 to 33 inches and a wingspan of five feet, although they only weigh a modest 2.5 pounds and are mostly feathers. They are voracious predators, requiring about seven vole-sized meals per day and terrorizing small mammals such as lemmings, pocket gophers, voles, hares, moles, shrews, weasels, thrushes, grouse, Canada jays, mountain quail, small hawks, and ducks.

Thomas Pham-Van, a fellow photographer, captured the owl making itself at home on Anaïs’ camera lens, as it perched there calmly without a care in the world, preening itself fiercely. The owl sat perched for around 30 seconds before flying off, leaving Anaïs with an unforgettable experience. She remained very calm during the encounter, although her friend was yelling at her not to move. Thomas said, “It is a wild animal so we didn’t know how it would react if Anaïs had to move. She says she kept an eye on the owl’s talons to protect her hands” .

Anaïs had a quick look before continuing to take pictures, while Thomas was in awe of capturing the magnificent bird in flight and perched on Anaïs’ camera lens. However, everything happened quite quickly, and Anaïs did not have time to think about her photographic equipment.

Great Gray Owls are found in Canada, parts of the western seaboard of the United States, Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia. They are the only species of owl known to “snow-plunge,” waiting, listening, and watching for prey from low listening posts before diving to penetrate packed snow and clasping small prey hiding there in their talons.

Anaïs Trépanier had a rare encounter with a Great Gray Owl that most people only dream of. With its majestic size and striking features, this owl is a truly remarkable creature that inspires awe and admiration. As a photographer, Anaïs was lucky to capture this incredible moment on camera, and we are lucky to have witnessed it through her lens.