The Hawk-Owl's Stare

A brown hawk-owl (brown boobook) grips a bamboo perch and fixes the camera with huge golden eyes. Unlike round-faced owls, it has a sleek, hawk-like shape — hence the name. Fun fact: The brown hawk-owl lacks the flat facial disc of typical owls and hunts more like a falcon, snatching insects and bats on the wing in fast, agile flight through the dusk.