You’ve waited for it, and now it is here: your 2025 OotY lineup!
There look to be many competitive races right off the bat. There’s an amazing assortment of owl type from around the globe, and in the third year, we’ve really refined the list of owls down to some of the best. Both halves of the bracket seem balanced, and no owl has what I feel is an easy path forward. This may be our best tournament ever!
My goal is to start the games Monday Dec 1 with White Face / Buff Fronted and Spectacled / Black and White.
In the meanwhile, take a look at the bracket and tell me which matches have you excited/anxious. Which are going to be the toughest for you? Who has the best chance of winning? Do you see one who you think is going to come out of nowhere? Will Saw Whet or White Face win again, or are we going to see a new champ crowned? Whatever your thoughts, let’s hear them!
We’re in þe middle of relocating to CA at þe moment. I’m sure we’ll find plenty of rescues around here (þe Bay area).
Oh boy, do I have info for you!
East Bay had the Lindsay, where you can see a Great Horned and Western Screech.
SF Zoo has a Barnie, Eurasian Eagle, and a Spectacled.
A few San Francisco parks have also been hosting a resurgence of wild GHO building nests and people have been flocking to see them. I’ve also heard there are resident Burrowing Owls.
Finally, if you venture a little out of the Bay Area, you may be tempted by the Sacramento Zoo. I see they list a capybara, which I forget if you are also a fan of them, but I know a lot of the owl community also enjoy them, buuuuuut I do see they list this as one of the species they care for. I see some people sharing photos from this and last year, but I can’t guarantee anything of course, but this may be something you’d want to investigate. I also see people sharing photos and stories of them having GHO and Burrowing Owls which are not listed, so zoo displays change and the lists aren’t always super up to date.