It’s October again, and that means for the entire month we’ll be featuring spooky creatures and creepy crawlers here on the blog. Halloween is big in my household. Decorations go up in September, apple cider is well stocked in the fridge, pumpkin scented candles burn, and horror movies play every night.
Classification: Birds of Prey
Everglades TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (7 votes)
The Everglades is a subtropical and tropical wetland spanning 7,800 square miles (20,000 km2) in central and south Florida in the United States. Water from the Kissimmee River south of Orlando feeds into Lake Okeechobee and then continues south into Florida Bay. Although mostly marsh and flooded grassland the Everglades also run through cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks, pinelands, coastal prairies, and mangrove forests.
Eagle Nest with Babies (Wild Life America by Schleich)
3.9 (10 votes)
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are not closely related, at least not within the context of the family Accipitridae. The latter is considered a ‘true’ eagle whereas the former is a buteonine hawk. Yet, the two birds have similar breeding and nesting habits.
Great Horned Owl (Wildlife by Mojö Fun)
4.4 (12 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Currently, there are more than 200 species of owl inhabiting our planet. They reside on every continent save for Antarctica and range in size from the tiny elf owl to the mighty eagle owl. But if there is one species that can truly be said to represent the owl family as a whole, it is most likely the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) of the Americas.
Barn Owl (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.1 (8 votes)
The barn owl is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful birds of prey in the world. With its white, golden-ash plumage, and uncannily silent flight, there’s an otherworldly allure to these birds; undoubtedly this is why the bird is also nicknamed the ghost owl, and how it’s managed to spook many a farmer or unwary traveler throughout history.
Andean Condor (ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta)
3.5 (6 votes)
This will be the first of several brief posts I’m planning to migrate over from the now-defunct Animal Toy Forum Walk-arounds section. The posts were originally just intended as walk-arounds on the forum so I don’t have much to say in addition to the photos, or if I do have thoughts, I don’t have the time to articulate my comments right now.
Great Grey Owl (Bullyland Birds by Bullyland)
2.4 (9 votes)
As I write this review, the 2023 Safari Ltd. Wings of the World Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) is currently en route to me. I thought it would be a good opportunity to review the 2010 rendition by Bullyland, which the Safari figure will replace, before it goes into the sales/trade/donation bin.
Griffon Vulture (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.3 (12 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
I’ve always been rather fond of vultures due to their large size, intimidating appearance, and the crucial role they play in consuming carrion. The Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus) is a very typical Old World vulture with quite a large population in Spain and much smaller populations scattered across the rest of Europe.
Harpy Eagle (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)
3.8 (16 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) of South America is perhaps the most awesome and powerful avian predator on Earth. A big female can reach up to 1 metre/3 feet in length, 2 metres/6.5 feet in wingspan, and 9 kg/20 lbs in weight, and boasts hind talons that are around the same size as a grizzly bear’s claws and much sharper.
European Animals TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (12 votes)
Europe is a continent consisting of the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia. It is said to be separated from Asia by a variety of natural features including the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, Ural River, and the Caspian and Black seas, among others. Truthfully though, the boarders between Europe and Asia, geological or manmade, are arbitrary.
Great Grey Owl (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)
4 (34 votes)
The great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) is a symbol of the vast northern wilderness that it ranges across, where it inhabits coniferous forests of the taiga around the entire Northern Hemisphere. As such it has many provocative nicknames including Phantom of the North, Lapland owl, and spectral owl.
Barn Owl, ‘Swoop’ (Douglas Cuddle Toys)
3.8 (13 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
If you were to ask me what my favorite owl species was, I think I could safely say the barn owl is my pick. The most famous and widespread of species under the Tyto genus, Tyto alba is iconic for its striking plumage, silent flight, and piercing cry – earning it the nickname “ghost owl”.
Andean Condor (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.3 (18 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
When I was a child of eight or nine my dad gave us cassettes with audio plays once in a while which he brought from the big city where he worked. One of these plays was The Children of Captain Grant (or In Search of the Castaways) by Jules Verne.
Harpy Eagle (Wild Life America by Schleich)
3.9 (19 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
I would like to start by offering my genuine thanks to Happy Hen Toys for this generously offered review sample. Happy Hen toys is one of the best current retailers for extant & extinct animals alike, from brands including CollectA, Mojö Fun, and of course Schleich.
Golden Eagle (Wildlife by Mojö Fun)
3.4 (11 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is perhaps the most quintessential and famous of all eagles. For certain it is the most widespread, ranging across the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia. It has also figured prominently in human culture more than any other bird.