Photo by Wayne Geater

Stumbled upon this beautiful bird this morning. I love the coloring and the subtle speckling. Make sure you zoom in on this photo to get a good look!

This owl was discovered 2001, and was the first new bird discovered in Sri Lanka since 1868. It lives in remote rainforest, where it is the only nocturnal avian predator.

The person who finally discovered it had heard an unknown bird call and chased it for 6 years before finally finding this tiny owl.

In 2006, the population was estimated at only 80 birds. Truly rare, and I’m glad we get to see it, and hopefully it will be protected.