Owl

How should I fill in the white spaces in the background? My mom said do a pale yellow sky, but I was thinking some sillouhutes (however you spell that) of trees too. What do you guys think I should do?
I don't know what kind of owl this is. XP
I can't call this a totally original piece of art. I was sitting around my room one day, and saw a crappy paint by number of an owl that I did many moons ago. I've always liked to draw owls, but I don't much because I need to reference something, and I don't have a book about them, and i hate staring at a computer screen.
And I just really wanted to draw this owl, so I glanced back and forth from the board and my paper, and, tada.
Although I made up the background. That is completely original.