14th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World

A Great Horned Owl owlet seeking refuge in a Magnolia tree

This owlet had been knocked out of its nest the previous day by a red tail hawk. During the fall it lost one of its talons. Over the night the owlet walked approximately 300 yards to this magnolia tree which had some low branches that were easier for it to climb. It spent the next two days recovering in this tree, and within a week successfully fledged.