This is it, my good people! We have come to the final match of this year's games. There have been many upsets, many new winners, and today we have a pair of wonderful owls that have paid their dues, taken some lumps, and after 3 seasons, have made it to this point.
Buffy has defeated Pygmy, Morepork, Eagle Owl, and the original champion, White Faced.
Screech surpassed Tawny Fish, the amazing eyebrows of the Crested Owl, last year's winner the Saw Whet, and finally the Snowy.
That's a lot of superb owls that have been unable to slow this pair down.
Let's review some stats of our combatants!
Buffy
Height: 16-19 inches / 40-48 cm
Weight: 2,3-4.6 pounds / 1028-2100 grams
Wingspan: 48 inches / 120 cm
Diet: Fish, crabs, frogs, reptiles, birds, insects
Unique Traits: Build less focused on stealth and hearing. Lacks silent flight feathers and has less developed facial disc, giving it a more spherical face. Has a hawk-like call. Large floppy plumicorns. Only lay a single egg per year.
Eastern Screech
Height: 6.5-10 inches / 16-25 cm
Weight: 0.26-0.53 pounds / 121-244 grams
Wingspan: 16 inches / 40 cm
Diet: Rodents, Insects, Birds
Unique Traits: Highly adaptable and opportunistic allows them to live remotely or among humans. Cavity nester. Flexible diet changes with the seasons. Available in grey, red, or brown. Highly effective camouflage. Fast (for an owl) flyer. Some beautiful vocalizations. Also well-plumicorned. Lays 3-4 eggs annually.
Both owls are very distinct, so with many different aspects to compare, neither likely has an inherent advantage. Buffy comes in with a slightly higher average score (51) but hasn't faced off against anything much like the Screech, other than White Faced, where it only won by a single vote.
Screech has an average score of 45, but has a huge win over Tawny Fish Owl, very similar to Buffy, where it won by a healthy margin (42-32). Buffy has a bit more of an established reputation compared to Tawny, so that could even things back out.
But numbers don't matter, old matches don't matter, this is all about the here and now!
Take a fine eye to these wonderful photos now, scour every minute detail, and see which of these owls deserves to take home the final victory and the covered OotY title.
Make your last upvotes now for your 2025 Owl of the Year!
Screech is a fine owl but fish owls have my heart! I have to proselytize!