Small Screech Owl Perched On Saguaro Cactus Coloring Page

The cactus rises from the bottom edge as a broad ribbed column with one thick arm bending up on the right, and the owl balances on its flat crown. It is a compact bird, drawn short and wide, with two low tufts, a heavily flecked breast and a fine speckled brow. The face is worked in short radiating strokes and the folded wing runs in tapered rows down one side. Behind and above, a light border of flowers, leaves and curling flourishes frames the upper corners, with small dots and loose spirals scattered through the space between. One thing to check before you print. The eyes have come through with a yellow fill already in them rather than left open, so if you want to color them yourself you will be working over the top of that. Real screech owls do nest in saguaros, taking over holes that woodpeckers cut years earlier, and the cactus heals the wound into a hard waterproof pocket that outlasts the plant itself. Sandy golds and dusty greens suit the setting, and keeping the bird close in tone to the cactus is truer than making it stand out, because hiding in plain sight is the whole point of its plumage.