Many different species of animals are found only in the Galápagos Islands — but I was fortunate to see a baby Galápagos barn owl, whose home was in the pizza oven of an abandoned Italian restaurant on the property of Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton in the Miconia Highland Forests on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.
Baby Galápagos Barn Owl. Sunday Morning Photograph.
I was actually surprised that I got any photographs at all, as they were taken at night time; so the inside of the pizza oven was almost pitch black. No flash or other source of illumination was used. The parents of the baby were away foraging for food at that time.
Final Boarding Call
Trivia time: The Galápagos barn owl is endemic to the Galápagos Islands and plays a crucial role in controlling the populations of rodents while simultaneously protecting the unique biodiversity of the archipelago. It is one of two species of owls in the Galápagos Islands and is one of the smallest species of barn owls in the world.
The purpose of the weekly series of Sunday Morning Photograph articles is to feature photographs from my travels around the world which you can view while enjoying your morning coffee.
Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate With Brian Cohen, which include photographs taken of nature and sights of interest in many countries and territories around the world — including but not limited to:
Albania • Andorra • Argentina • Australia • Austria • Bahamas • Bahrain • Belgium • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • China • Chile • Colombia • Côte d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast • Croatia • Cyprus — including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus • Czechia or Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • Ecuador • Egypt • England in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Estonia • Fiji • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Greenland • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Jamaica • Kenya • Kosovo • Latvia • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malaysia • Mexico • Montenegro • Morocco • Mozambique • Netherlands • New Zealand • North Macedonia • Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom • Norway • Oman • Panama • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Scotland in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Singapore • Slovenia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Swaziland or Eswatini • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey or the Republic of Türkiye • United Arab Emirates • United States of America • Uruguay • Vanuatu • Wales in Great Britain in the United Kingdom
Photograph ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
