From Misty Briggs
Something truly magical happened this year here in Arizona. I saw a unicorn! 🦄🦉
Okay, well… if that unicorn were an owl!
Not just any owl, but an incredibly rare leucistic Great Horned Owl. And for this lifelong owl lover, it was an encounter I will never forget.
Leucism is a rare genetic condition that causes a loss of pigmentation, giving animals unusually pale or white coloring while typically retaining their normal eye color. Unlike albinism, leucism doesn’t usually affect eye color.
After searching for documented sightings of leucistic Great Horned Owls in the wild and finding very few, I realized just how extraordinary this encounter truly was. My very own Arizona unicorn! 🤍
The awe and gratitude I felt watching this magnificent creature are difficult to put into words. Some moments touch your heart so deeply that you wish you could hold on to them forever.
So that’s exactly what I did.
I had this beautiful boy tattooed as a permanent reminder of a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. But what makes this tattoo even more meaningful is something incredibly close to my heart.
I recently lost both my beloved dogs, and my amazing tattoo artist was able to incorporate their ashes into the tattoo ink. Now, not only will I carry the memory of this extraordinary owl wherever life takes me, but a part of my boys will literally be with me forever.
One unforgettable encounter. Two everlasting loves. All forever with me. 🐾🐾❤️
And while I know how fortunate I was to see this beautiful owl even once, I’ll never stop hoping our paths will cross again.
Until then, fly safely, beautiful unicorn. 🤍🦉
A real life shiny Pokémon! Leucism is a cool mutation.
I enjoy seeing them, but they do often have problems in life. Many seem to have bad eyesight, and they lose their natural camo, which is a pretty tough combo for a wild animal.
The rescue I’m at, and one of our nearby ones both took in leucistic birds that are unreleasable due to vision issues.
On the other hand, some can be fine. I know of one Great Horned Owl in particular that has been surviving a few years on its own. I posted about it here and we actually had folks working with the owl reach out to have the post removed, as they were trying to scrub the web of info on its location to protect it.
Definitely. An odd color sticks out easily so they are very often predated on. And they also can become more susceptible to sunburns. I’m just fascinated when I see animals with color mutations, especially out in the wild!
My area has been having an oddly high number of melanistic squirrels. It’s starting to feel like an omen!
I’m so sorry for your losses. This picture is so magestic, I’m glad you were able to capture it and share with all of us! I bet the tattoo came out awsome too!
Not me! Just sharing one of Misty’s stories. 😇
Loved ones have a way of showing up as birds sometimes. Owls, if you’re lucky.
I’m trying to be extra grumpy now in hopes of owl coming up in reincarnation roulette.
Pretty sure everyone gets unlimited owls if they want it. It is heaven, right?
Hey, you don’t know what kind of guy I am when I’m not talking owls. My fav animals are vicious murder machines, after all! 😈
Or what if God is a mouse or vole or chipmunk?
There’s a lot of variables at play!
Not to worry, time is an illusion, all the time in the world for crazygonuts! Or being a tree, as one prefers. Heck somebody is our sassy Buffy OotY!
Now that is one lucky soul!
But it’s nearing time for a brand new Owl of the Year!
/foreboding sound effect
