FOWL HYSTERIA 2024: THE FINAL

It all comes down...........................dramatic pause...................to this.

In the beginning, there were 32. Now, only two remain. Welcome to the final of Fowl Hysteria 2024.

There’s no need for a big preamble. We’ve all been watching these birds for weeks. We’ve seen them take down a string of the world’s most formidable foes. We know what they bring to the table. And we know what the rules are. So let’s do this.

Actually, for due diligence, let’s do the rules again.

A reminder of how this works: We’ve created polls for every single matchup, and made sure to provide you with the links to the relevant bird blogs so you can refresh your memory if you need. All you have to do is vote for the bird of your choice in each poll! You have a week to vote.

Also, you might get a message saying you have to subscribe to vote. To be clear, you don’t have to be a paid subscriber to vote! Everyone, free or paid, gets a chance.

OK. Finals time. Buckle up. And away we fly.

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THE FINAL: BURROWING OWL VS. RESPLENDENT QUETZAL

Becky Matsubara; ryanacanadee

WHAT a final duo. Two birds that, between them, contain all the majesty, variety, and fortitude of the avian kingdom.

In one corner: the burrowing owl, an almost criminally adorable little critter that defies the assumptions of what an owl can be. An owl that lives underground, doesn’t mind the daytime, and can imitate a rattlesnake. Cowboys call them “howdy birds” because they nod a lot. I mean, come ON now.

Bart van Dorp

This owl is saying, “what are you gonna do, NOT vote for me? I look like this!!!”

Well…..maybe you won’t, because the resplendent quetzal looks like this.

ryanacanadee

Again…come ON now. The quetzal is a tropical marvel, a bird that was otherworldly enough to be sacred for both the Aztecs and the Mayas—a bird that has literally inspired the creation of gods.

You want another data point about the power these birds have? They both just beat a falcon in the last round. That’s right: birddom’s most ferocious predators were no match for these two. The quetzal squeaked past the bat falcon 51-49, and the burrowing owl blazed past the peregrine falcon—the real-deal peregrine falcon, the fastest animal alive—65-35. Whew!

So there you have it. The final two. Little vs. big. Arid vs. tropical. Two birds that are each marvels to look at while looking 10000 percent different from each other. Two birds rich in history, in culture, in the things that make this planet worth living on. Two emblems of the wonder and glory of the bird world.

But only one of them can win. And only you can decide. So.

Over to you. Make your choice. You have one week. Good luck to both of our finalists. Now VOTE.

Here’s the bracket, btw.

A reminder: you can check out our complete Bird of the Week list here, and get in touch with your bird suggestions at hello@discourseblog.com.