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Photograph by Sven Začek
They're fierce, they have a four-foot wingspan, and they punch with their talons. But one female didn't mind becoming a photographer's muse.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
The photographer's favorite subject—the female Ural owl featured in most of these photos—found a natural nook for her nest.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
She looks sweet grooming her chick, but don't mess with mom's nest: Ural owls are aggressively territorial. "I've made an 'agreement' with the females that the price to band and measure one nestling is six hard punches on the head," says Finnish ornithologist Pertti Saurola.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
An owlet naps near the tail of a future meal.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
A male (at right) delivers a freshly caught rodent to his mate, and she will bring it back to their nearby nest. Since unattended chicks could be vulnerable to hawks and other hungry birds, the male does most of the hunting during the breeding season.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
Snow can conceal prey like voles, but such protection is no match for the many hunting advantages nature has bestowed on owls.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
Concave faces help channel sound into supersensitive ears.
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Photograph by Sven Začek
Heightened vision and specialized feathers let owls fly under a cloak of darkness and silence. "I'm in awe of them," says photographer Začek.