The story is easily told: This European Eagle Owl (or Eurasian Eagle Owl, Bubo bubo) was portrayed in captive conditions. Getting such a close shot in nature would have been a real challenge with a 100mm macro lens.

The thing fascinating me most about the bird is the bright orange colored eyes standing out from the mostly brownish-grey feathering.

Not focussing on a depicting, real nature image, I enhanced that particular feature and desaturated the rest even more. Not pure nature, but still showing the dignity of the animal.