Owl Eye Issue 7_int

Owl News All About Owls Owl Art Owl Photos
Owl the News You Need!
Issue 7 Spring 2017
Featured Owl!
Coastal
Cousins:
The Eastern &
Western
The Owl Eye’s
Coverage of:
Screech
Owl
The International
Festival of Owls!
Page 20
Chicago’s
Field
Museum:
Interview
with an
Ornithologist
New Owl Jewelry
And of course
Owl Art,
photography
& Research
articles!
©A.Bucci Photography 2017

Who Cooks For You?
By Katy Jo Turner
This is a great book for young kids. It is the story of Howie, the
Barred Owl who is tired of finding his own breakfast and just
wants someone else to do it! His adventures with other animals
in the woods are funny and genuine. The illustrations by Melissa
Marroquin are also fantastic and eye candy for any aged reader.
To find out more about this book visit:
www.KatyJoTurner.com/
Letter from the Editor
Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth, and of course, the time for baby birds! Many of us who live in the countryside or even
some of the cities enjoy seeing baby birds hurridly tagging along behind their parents. Just this past week I was walking
to my day job through a parking lot, and low and behold a fluffy baby Canada Goose was waddling behind a squawking
mother! I had to stop and watch and even though I know this is not an owl story, it was very endearing just the same.
However, this Spring Issue brings us many new owl stories. The Eye ventured into a behind-the-scenes look at Chicago’s
Field Musem’s Birds Department with Curator John Bates, and the facinating job of researching and documenting birds
and owls. The International Festival of Owls also happened this past March, and the Eye elaborates on our second year of
experiences there. Read about our encounter with an Eastern Screech Owl at night! This encounter inspired this issue’s
Featured Owl to be both the Eastern and Western Screech Owl - since I couldn’t choose between the two. Anthony
Bucci, Joel Bakker and Jeff Grotte’s magnificent photography capture both the U.S. and the Canadian species of these birds.
Check them out on page 6.
Another great story is from Jani Ylikangas, photographer from Finland and manager of the Torpedo Owl Facebook Page. He
generously photo-documented and wrote a narrative about his encounter with a Northern Hawk Owl territorial battle! A
very special encounter indeed.
The Hidden Lives of
Owls
By Leigh Calvez
I want to thank all of my contributing photographers for their generosity to this magazine; Anthony Bucci, Jeff Grotte, Joel
Bakker and Bryan Banister. Also to Sham Jolime for her help with the Owl Myth and Lore Page - she is residing in Malaysia
and brought my attention to the Mah Meri Tribe’s view on owls. And of course, a thank you to Mr. John O’Connell of The
Field Museum for connecting me to John Bates of the Birds Department.
Please enjoy the new Spring 2017 Issue of the Owl Eye!
Sincerely,
Lisa Spiegelman
This is an incredible account of nature writer Leigh Calvez’s experiences
with looking for and documenting different species of owls along with
experts in the owl community. Her writing is imaginative as well as
informative and we wholeheartedly recommend this book to any owl
lover.
Please visit her website at: www.leighcalvez.com
Lisa Spiegelman
Designer/Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Owl Eye Magazine
www.dreamidgraphics.com
www.facebook.com/theowleyemagazine/
1
1

The Table of Contents
The Featured Owl: Page 6-11 &
35-40
The Owl Eye explores both the
eastern and western screech owls.
Photography by A.Bucci, Joel Bakker
and Jeff Grotte, info from The Owl
Pages.
Everyone Loves Owls: Pages 14-19
The Eye goes behind the scenes of
the Field Museum in Chicago with
ornithologist and Curator of Birds,
John Bates.
FEATURE: The International
Festival of Owls: Pages 20-32
The Eye reports on this year’s owl
Festival! It just keeps getting better.
Owl Books: Page 33
The Fight of Torpedo Owl: Page 49
Jani Ylikangas of Finland captures the
territorial fight of two Hawk Owls.
Owl Research Institute: Pages 53-54
The ORI updates us on their Long-eared
owl study in Montana.
Owl Myth and Lore: Page 57
The Mah Meri tribe of Malaysia is
featured in this issues’ Owl Myth and
Lore. Info provided by Shamma Esoof.
Back Cover: Jessie Fries of the Art
Shoppe Jessart Studio generously
created the Screech Owl for the Owl
Eye!
One Man’s Owl By Bernd Heinrich
And Blakiston’s Fish owls by Sumio
Yamamoto
Owl Art: Pages 43
Lisa Carlson
Jon Ching
MagicWood Creations
Silvia Logi
Ken Sohn
Tiffany Mootrey
Owl Jewelry: Pages 47
2
‘The Healing Tree’
By James Browne
Miriel Designs
Elina Gliezer
Natelle Draws Stuff
‘Love Owls’ By James Browne

Adopt an Owl
at The World
Owl Trust!
www.worldowltrust.org
4
©Joel Bakker
Great Grey Owls Photo By Lisa Spiegelman
5

The Featured Owls
The Western Screech Owl is a small, nocturnal woodland Owl with short ear-tufts and yellow eyes. A grey and a less common brown
morph are known to exist. The species name kennicotti was created to honour Robert Kennicott, an American explorer and naturalist
(1835-1866). Originally, this bird was officially called Kennicott's Owl.
6
Western Screech Owls
www.owlpages.com
Photo By A.Bucci Photography

Description: Grey morph: The facial disc is pale
brownish-grey, finely mottled and vermiculated
darker. The rim is dark and not very prominent, with
pale speckles on the edge. The eyebrows are slightly
paler than the surrounding plumage, so are not
very prominent. The eyes are bright yellow, the bill
and cere blackish. There are blackish bristles at the
base of the bill. Ear-tufts are short and pointed, and
prominent when erected.
Photo By A.Bucci Photography
The crown and upperparts are brownish-grey with
blackish shaft-streaks and fine vermiculations. The
scapulars have whitish outer webs, edged black,
forming a line of white spots across each shoulder.
Flight feathers are boldly barred light and dark, while
the tail is less distinctly barred.
Underparts are paler than the upperparts, with
blackish shaft-streaks and irregular cross-barring.
The upper breast has some broad shaft-streaks
resembling black spots.
Tarsi are feathered to the base of the toes, which
are greyish-brown in colour and bristled and partly
feathered. Claws are blackish-horn.
Brown morph: Similar in pattern but with a more
rufous-brown general colouration.
Size: Length 22-24cm. Wing length 142-190mm.
Weight 90-250g. Females are larger than males.
Habits: Nocturnal, with activity generally beginning
20-30 minutes after sunset. Flight is noiseless with
soft wingbeats and gliding. Will become motionless if
disturbed at roost. This owl is very aggressive when
defending a nest site, and may attack humans. During
direct flight, the Western Screech Owl flies fairly
rapidly with a steady wing beat of about 5 strokes/
second. It rarely glides or hovers, but may fly bat-like
with erratic movements, when maneuvering through
wooded areas. Wings are broad and the head is held
tucked in giving a flying bird a stubby appearance.
Voice: The male's most common call is a mellow,
muted trill "hoo-hoo-hoo...", or bouncing ball song,
that speeds up at the end, but maintains a constant
pitch. It is given by the male during the mating and
nesting seasons, but also during the autumn and
winter. This call is primarily territorial in nature. A
secondary song is a double trill of rapid bursts. Other
calls are a soft "cr-r-oo-oo-oo-oo" given as a greeting
call, and a sharp bark given when excited.
8 9

A.Bucci Photography
Breeding: During courtship males and females call to each other in a duet as they approach each other. When together they
preen each other's heads and nibble at the other's beaks. The male then changes his call to a rapid tremolo, answered with a
short, tremolo from the female.
Western Screech Owls nest almost exclusively in tree cavities. Enlarged natural cavities are preferred but they will also use
old Pileated Woodpecker and rotted-out Northern Flicker holes. Nest cavities are usually 2 to 6 metres above the ground,
but may be up to 15 metres up. They will readily nest in suitable nest boxes. Nests are almost always in deciduous trees
such as oaks, cottonwoods, maples, sycamores and large willows, but also in large cacti, Douglas-fir snags, and junipers. One
subspecies in Arizona nests exclusively in saguaro cacti. No nest material is added and nests are kept cleaner than in Eastern
Screech Owls. 2 to 5 (average 3-4) eggs are laid on natural sawdust on the floor of the cavity. The average clutch size tends to
increase from south to north and from the coast inland. The eggs are laid every 1 to 2 days and incubation begins after laying
of the first. The incubation period is about 26 days and the fledging period about 35 days. Females incubate eggs and brood
young while males bring food to the nest. The Western Screech Owl is single brooded, but may re-nest if first clutch is lost.
Pairs will often reuse nest sites in consecutive years. Pairs mate for life but will accept a new mate if the previous mate is lost.
gray and red colour phases will mate together.
Adults tend to remain near their breeding areas year-round while juveniles disperse in the autumn. Small territories around
nest sites are vigorously defended by males. In desert riparian areas of the southwest, where these Owls can be quite
numerous, territories may be only 50 meters apart. Home ranges are much larger, and range from 3 to 60 hectares, but these
are not defended and there is much overlap between pairs.
Habitat: Western Screech Owls inhabit a wide variety of habitats. On the northwest coast, they inhabits humid Douglas-fir,
western hemlock, western red cedar, and Sitka spruce forests along the edges of clearings, rivers, and lakes. Further inland
they occupy a narrow ecological niche of lowland deciduous forests, especially riparian woodlands along river bottoms.
Southern populations inhabit lowland riparian forests, oak-filled arroyos, desert saguaro and cardon cacti stands, Joshua tree
and mesquite groves, and open pine and pinyon-juniper forests. They avoid dense forests because Great Horned Owls use
that habitat, and high elevation forests. In general, they require open forests, with an abundance of small mammals and insect
prey, and cavities for nesting. They roost mainly in natural or woodpecker cavities in large trees, but also in dense foliage of
deciduous trees, usually on a branch next to the trunk, or in dense conifers.
Distribution: Western North America from northern Canada and Alaska to central Mexico.
Status: Locally frequent to common.
Original Description: Elliot, Daniel
Giraud. 1867. Proceedings of the
Academy of Natural Science of
Philadelphia, 19, p. 99-100.
Hunting & Food: Hunts mainly from a perch in open woodlands, along the edges of open fields or wetlands, or makes short
forays into open fields. They also capture flying insects on the wing. Small prey is usually swallowed whole on the spot, while
larger prey is carried in the bill to a perch and then torn apart. An extremely wide range of prey species is captured. The most
favoured prey are small microtine rodents and deer mice, larger insects, or small birds depending on abundance. Pellets are
medium-sized, averaging about 38 by 19mm.
Info from this page from
www.owlpages.com
10

References:
Boyer and Hume. 1991. "Owls of the World". BookSales Inc.
Campbell, Wayne. 1994. "Know Your Owls". Axia Wildlife.
Duncan, James R.. 2003. "Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival". Firefly Books.
König, Claus & Weick, Friedhelm. 2008. "Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World (Second Edition)". Yale University Press.
König, Weick and Becking. 1999. "Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World". Yale University Press.
Long, Kim. 1998. "Owls: A Wildlife Handbook". Johnson Books.
Mikkola, Heimo. 2013. "Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide (Second Edition)". Bloomsbury.
Voous, Karel H.. 1988. "Owls of the Northern Hemisphere". The MIT Press.
See also: Other owls from North America, Genus: Megascops.
Hungry Owl Project
Page by Deane Lewis. Last updated 2015-10-01.
The Global Owl Project works all over the world to help
owls survive climate change and habitat destruction.
They have a special Burrowing Owl Project where David
H. Johnson builds new burrows for Burrowing Owls.
Please see their Facebook Page and their Website:
www.globalowlproject.com for details.
If you are interested in creating or
helping to build Owl Boxes, the Hungry
Owl Project Website is a great resource.
Please visit:
www.hungryowl.org and read all about
how to make your own owl box!
Also, The Hungry Owl Project gives
some great talks and owl shows
featuring live owls!
Interested in a HOP presentation?
The Hungry Owl Project gives
presentations on owls, non-toxic rodent
control, rodenticides and more. We have
presentations for schools, vineyards,
farmers, homeowners associations,
neighborhood communities and much
more. Our presentations often include
the presence of one or more live owls!
www.hungryowl.org
Interested in an Owl or raptor focused
research project?
The Hungry Owl Project frequently has
research projects and can use volunteers.
Check out volunteer page to see what's
available. Additionally if you are looking to
start a project feel free to contact us see if
we can help or work together.
13

Everybody
Loves
Owls
The Owl Eye Magazine goes behind the scenes at Chicago’s Field
Museum with Ornithologist and Birds Curator, John Bates.
14
The Field Museum Photo and Article By: Lisa Spiegelman

The Owl Eye’s Visit to the Field Museum, Chicago, with John Bates,
Ornithologist, Associate Curator and Head of Life Sciences.
Everybody Loves Owls
I hold an Eastern Screech Owl Specimen
Introduction made by John O’Connell
March 27th 2017
The Field Museum in Chicago holds the world’s fourth largest collection of birds, including rare specimens from the Philipines,
Kenya and Malawi. Other specimens have been there dating back to the museum’s opening year, 1893.
John Bates, Associate Curator at the Field along with Shannon Hackett, has been with The Field’s Birds Department since
1995. His research includes comparative genetic structure and evolution primarily in the Afrotropics, the Neotropics, and
the Asian tropics, and his background education in ornithology from Lousiana State University along with experience at the
American Museum of Natural History makes him a an expert in talking about owls. He shared with The Eye his research on
Molecular Phylogenics and Evolution of the Eastern Screech Owl. This paper can be found on researchgate.net.
I met John on the main floor of the Field. If you have never been, the museum is a gorgeous building created in the Greek
style of architecture. Ionic columns line the front entrance with massive rolling marble stairs leading up to it. Statues on each
corner of the main room stand watch over the ever roaming crowds. It’s Spring Break time and many adults and children are
occupying the halls. I follow him upstairs to the Staff Only secion of the museum where the halls are tiled white and the old
wooden doors are open to offices lined with stuffed bookshelves and papers all over desks. It screams old world academia
- at least to a person with an art background like myself. I am introduced to John’s Research Assistant, Josh Engel, who is
studying different raptors in the area as well as multi-species phylogeographic studies of the Albertine Rift (the western
branch of the East African Rift, covering parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and
Tanzania). He is also leading a birding group called Illinois Young Birders. There are different programs; one in Minnesota and
one that will be in South Africa! I tell him to sign me up.
Then we talk first about the magazine; how it came to be, why there aren’t any publications dedicated to owls, and also where
the magazine has taken me. We talk about the International Festival of Owls that just ocurred a few weeks prior in Houston,
Minnesota. Both John and Josh were impressed the two thousand person turnout! Apparently, in the ornithological societies,
which is obviously about all birds, the turnout is similar! We agreed that everybody loves owls and owls have always been
a fascination to people throughout history. I also talk about The World Owl Trust in the UK and thier efforts in conserving
the Philipine Eagle Owl as well as the
International Owl Societies support for
the Blakiston’s Fish Owl Project with
Jonathan Slaght. Josh then excuses himself
to work on a raptor monitoring project
he has going as John and I visit some of
the owl specimens that are there at the
Field. And by specimens I mean dead owls.
As owl lovers, we know that owls are
mysterious creatures, and the main reason
we know so little about them is because
they are so adept at nocturnal survival as
well as camouflaging themelves to look
like trees, tundra, and tropical vegitation.
More studies about owls are coming about
because of collections such as the Birds
Department at the Field.
John Bates, holding a Great Horned and Great Grey Owl. Photo L.Spiegelman
Pel’s Fishing Owls
I ask John what a day in the life
of a curator and ornithologist is
like. He explains that no two days
are alike and that is what keeps
the job interesting! He says that
many people come to the Field to
see the Bird’s Collection; other
onithologists, bird enthusiasts and
students. With the internet being
a readily available resource, he is
finding that some of the children
that come to visit have already an
impressive knowledge of birds, and
of course owls, because everybody
loves owls. We pass a lady in the
hall with an owl t-shirt.
Here they have thousands of owls that can be studied
in one place, and one can see the physiological
differences between species in the palm of your
hand. It’s a bit strange at first to me to be holding a
deceased owl, but I soon get used to it and pet them
like they are still alive. Is that wierd? I don’t know.
The feathers are soft. Some of the birds have been
there for over one hundred years.
We visit with all kinds of owls there. I have never
seen so many owls in one place. John explains that
they receive a lot of owls that have been mostly hit by
cars and when someone finds them, or when the staff
themseves find them, they are brought back to the
Field for preservation and study. It is in this way that
new DNA testing can be utilized on the specimens
to determine studies such as John’s research on the
megascops Eastern Screech Owls and to find out
what determines the characteristics of subspecies
or why some owls migrate and others do not. I told
John also about the new study at the University of
Arkansas lead by Mitchell Pruit on the study of Saw
Whets that he is doing there. If you missed the
previous Owl Eye Issue that included the story; the
study shows that Saw Whet Owls that had previously
been thought to be migratory birds have now been
found to be all year round habitants. Mitchell is now
tagging the birds and tracking their progress.
Holding a Saw Whet Specimen

Everybody Loves Owls
Owls In Art
& Science
Another very interesting thing I
learned from John is that there is
an artist in residence that works
at the Field by the name of Peggy
MacNamara. She has dedicated
her life to painting a variety of
animals and publishing books of
her images. John showed me the
room where she works at the
Field. It is filled with paintings
of all kinds of animals as well as
shelves stuffed with books. It is
great to see the arts and sciences
working together.
We then discussed the Barred Owl migration issue from the East Coast of the U.S. to the West Coast and Pacific Northwest;
which is a current conservation issue. If you missed the articles in Issue 5 Fall Owl Eye, this migraion plays a key role in
endangering the Spotted Owls that are already living in Washington, Oregon and California. We also discussed Dr. R.J. Gutierrez’s
work (also the recipient of The Champion of Owls Award in the 2017 Owl Hall of Fame mentioned in the proceding pages). We
agreed there is no great answer to this problem and scientists are still researching how that migration actually happened. Was is
human influenced? Or did something change in the owl’s habitat or is something evolutionary happening? The Midwest is not a
place these owls would volunarily go since they roost in old forest areas. These answers are all being determined by people like
John and the Collection of the Field Museum. To visit the Field Museum Department of Birds please go to www.fieldmuseum.org
and find out what they are doing to help our world’s birds.
Owls Revealing Truth About Our World
Then John had a great idea. There was an
display downstairs in the new “Specimens”
Exhibit that had to do with owls. I was
of course excited about this and thus
we went down to see it. So what the
disply is, is a chart of the different species
of marsupials that owls had eaten over
thousands of years and then as owls
expel pellets after their meals (remnants
including feathers and bones) scientists
were able to study the fossilized skulls
and mandibles of these creatures and
find out more about how life was back
then! All because owls eat so many small
animals and they are preserved by the
owl’s inability to digest them are new clues
about our world are revealed. Thanks owls!
Research Lab at the Field
18

The International
Festival
of Owls
The International Festival of Owls 2017
March 3rd - 5th, Houston, Minnesota.
By Lisa Spiegelman
The International Festival of Owls, hosted
by the International Owl Center in Houston,
Minnesota, is the only all weekend long
festival of owls in North America, and it is
something not to be missed!
The town of Houston consits of around 970
people on a usual day, but on the weekend
of the Festival, the population more than
doubles. The coffee shop, the grocery store,
and the high school where the event is held
are all decked out in owl paraphernalia. Owls
are literally everwhere.
With Hein Bloem, husband of and co-coordinator of the
Festival, Karla Bloem.
Chainsaw Owl Carving By Molly Wiste
The Owl Eye Team drove in from Chicago,
about a four and a half hour drive across
the flatlands of the Midwest, and we were
scheduled to attend the eight o’clock Owl
Prowl adventure hosted by the Center. I was
personally excited by this, since living in
Chicago, although there are some wooded
areas and even Montrose Bird Sancuary
(where I have looked for owls), there isn’t
much dense forestry, where owls usually
hang out. We are also lucky this time with
the weather, even though the warmth is
controversial. It’s about 30 degress in
Houston, in early March.
20 21

The International Festival of Owls 2017: Owl Prowl
FRIDAY:
8:00 PM
As we get on the bus to drive into the woods surrouding the town, it begins to snow…
It feels like the beginning of a horror film, but I keep my thoughts to myself. The drive
takes us on dark two-way roads, there isn’t much light except for the headlights of the
bus and the glow of the hazy moon trying to peak it’s way through the clouds. I am
enjoying the serene landscape of dense trees, small grassy fields, and the light of the sky
reflecting in the streams of water that we pass by. I envy the owls.
As we come to our first stop, (there are four total stops on this prowl), the bus pulls
into a gravel turnoff and the crew gets off the bus. There are about twenty of us I’d say,
although I never did a detailed count. It’s pretty dark, with a the soft glow of moonlight.
Our shadows dance along the backdrop of woods and rock. Bryan, the Eye’s photodocumentor
and my boyfriend, whispers, “This is when we get abducted by aliens!” I
shush him, but join in the quiet laughter of our standing neighbors.
Dr. R.J. Gutierrez of the University of Minnesota leads the expedition. First, the rules of
the prowl are established: Never call owls in the same place too often. Calling owls does
stress them, and as owl lovers we would never want to do that. Once in awhile is ok, and
always change your location. Second, always call the small owls first, in case there are
bigger owls around, you don’t want the bigger owls to attack any smaller ones that come
into the vicinity.
Dr. Gutierrez begins with a recording of a Saw-Whet owl, it is a short high pitched hoot.
He plays it a few times and then we all stand in silence, listening. The snow is coming
down now, but it’s not windy nor very cold, so standing around is very tolerable. The sky
is still a light purple color and the crescent moon is trying so very hard to get in front of
those clouds! It is very still while we wait. I stare up at the sky and the trees, enjoying
being in the outdoors and in the house of owls.
Nothing answers us. Dr. Gutierrez tries again, and again to no avail. Next he tried the
Eastern Screech owl. This call is both a lower rapid hoot, followed by a higher almost
whinnying sound like a horse! A couple of chuckles come from the crowd, but we let the
recording sound and again stand and wait. No response. We then try a Great Horned owl,
the largest of the group being called. This hoot is a lower hoot, a patterned call like, “hoo
hoo hooo hoooo hoooo!” If that makes any sense. When you see the owl do this in person,
it’s lower chin feathers sort of puff out in the same rhythm of the call. The recording is
played a few times, and each time we stand and listen. Nothing.
Back to bus we go, in the snow and darkness.
24

Stop two yields the same results.
More recoreded calls echo into the
night and only silence answers us. I
am beginning to feel dubious, what if
we don’t hear any owls? That would
surely be dissappointing, and nothing
is garaunteed by the Center, they
certainly can’t force the owls to call
back. We trudge back to the bus and
head to stop three.
Stop three is another gravel type road
with woods on one side and a clearing
with less densely wooded area on the
other. The sky is turning more of an
azure blue now, the purple slowly
fading away, and the moon getting
stronger in her glow. The Eastern
Screech owl recording is played and we
hear the high pitched whinnying echo
through the night…
One of the crew whispers, “I hear
something!” Dr. Gutierrez confirms.
“It’s coming from the left of us.” We all
turn to clearing side of the gravel road
and listen in stillness. Out of the trees
comes a soft high pitched rapid hoot!
An Eastern Screech owl has decided to
have a chat with us! How exciting!! Dr.
Gutierrez plays the recording again and
even tried a real owl vocalization. The
owl responds and Dr. Gutierrez claims
there is a pair of owls in the trees. We
continue to listen to the owls hoot and
all of a sudden it is coming from the
woods behind us. The flashlight scans
the trees and I think, ‘there’s no way
he’s going to find a tiny screech owl
in those trees,’ but low and behold he
does! The little grey stone faced owl
is perched on a brance right about
our heads and he gives us his high
pitched whinny, flaps his wings and
takes off back into the grassy area.
The flashlight follows him across the
moonlit night. What a win! My night is
made and we have one more stop.
Photos By Lisa Spiegelman
and Bryan Banister
Stop four is much the same with repeated recorded hoots, but no one aswers. The night, however, is a
success and I am beaming with the afterglow of experiencing the owl conversation that we were apart
of on the third stop, in the snow, with the enchanting night forest and the moon trying ever so hard to
peak out through the clouds.
26

SATURDAY
The International Festival of Owls 2017
Sleep did not come too easily after the Screech Owl encoutner, but my excitement for the next day’s events
pulled me through. Luckily, we didn’t have any very early engagements or speeches to attend, so a rather
leisurely morning was had at the local Inn, Lokan’s Sawmill. At around eleven o’clock, we sauntered down
to the High School to register and place magazines and buttons at the front desk and to meet my friend,
Katy Jo Turner, author of “Who Cooks for You?” a children’s book about Howie, the Barred Owl who just
wants some breakfast. Katy Jo and I met last year at the Festival and her book is always included in the
Owl Eye.
1:30 PM
3:00 PM
Next up on the agenda is the Illinois Raptor Center’s
presentation on the Snowy Owl, Great Horned Owl and
the Barred Owl. They split up the presentation to Big
Owls and Little Owls, so the Big Owls were being shown
at this time. Jacques Nuzzo was the speaker and Jane
Seitz, the Executive Director and Founder was there
with other staff to show the owls. Their website is
www.illinoisraptorcenter.org.
Illinois Raptor Center
Great Horned Owl
Our first session at the Fest was at one-thirty; a presentation by Dr. Jonathan Slaght, the Russia and
Northeast Asia Coordinator of the Wildlife Conservation Society and expert on Blakiston’s Fish Owl
conservation and protection. I had read about Dr. Slaght’s research from the International Owl Society’s
newsletter, Tyto, so I was familiar with his name and work. The Society supports the work he is doing
there as well. Dr. Slaght’s presentation covered his work in Russia primarily determining what the
problems are there between the owls and Russian loggers. He was saying that it isn’t the logging that is
really effecting the owls habitat as much as it is people invading it. Roads, he stated, that are being built
right on the shallow flowing rivers and streams that the Fish Owls eat from and the concrete linings that
are along the water are really disabling the owls from their normal fishing. There is also a dam that had
been built in that area that prohibits the fish from spawning properly and also therefore directly effects
the prey population for the owl. Slaght has been working with the logging companies to get them to close
unused roads and build another way to the logging areas that will not effect the Blakiston’s Fish Owl
habitat. Dr. Slaght is also the recipient of the Special Achievement Award at this year’s Owl Hall of Fame
Banquet. You can follow Jonathan’s work at: jonathanslaght.wordpress.com.
Jacques always starts with a story, but it is too long
to re-write here, so you will have to come to the
Festival and hear his presentations to get it. They are
entertaining for sure and full of him “expressing his
concern” while in precarious owl-saving situations.
While showing the owls, Jacque tells the audience of
the Raptor Center’s efforts to help owls (and other
raptors as well) in anyway they can. Their “Nescues”,
a Jacque-inspired term, describes incidents where
baby owls fall out of their nests and the Center’s
efforts to care for them if injured and to either put
them back in their nests, or, if need be, put them in
a new nest where a foster wild owl will hopefully
care for them. The IRC will also take hurt or injured
owls from people and help rehabilitate them back
to the wild, or if that is not possible, care for them
in captivity and train them to be foster parents or
educational birds.
Images from Jonathan Slaght website:
jonathanslaght.wordpress.com and Facebook Page
The presentation ended at 4:00 and we had just
enough time to visit the Owl Center and the Vendors
at the Festival. The Owl Center houses educational
birds; Rupert and Ruby - Great Horned Owls, Piper - a
Barn owl, Uhu - Eurasian Eagle Owl, and Iris, also a
Great Horned Owl. Alice, the owl whooo’s hatch day
the Festival was started for, (see what I did there?)
is now twenty years old and prefers her nest to big
crowds, so she was not out that weekend. We got to
visit with Rupurt, Uhu and Piper and Ruby. The store
was packed when we got there and it was stocked
with all things owl! Anything you want! It is very
owl-verwhelming for an owl lover, I wanted one of
everything.
Illionois Raptor Center Eastern Screech Owl
IRC Barred Owl

29
International Owl Center Shop
The Center is also where the annual photo contest is and Festival participants are encouraged to vote
for their favorite owl phtotgraph. There were eleven contestants and it was a very hard decision indeed.
I won’t say who I voted for. After a few purchases, we exit the Center and head out to get ready for the
Banquet and the Hall of Fame Award Ceremony!
6:00 PM
Lutheran Church
The Banquet this year was held at the Lutheran Chuch in Houston. It was a bit smaller than last year’s
Four Season’s banquet hall, but we certainly made due. Long tables and chairs were set up and at the
head of the room were two tables where the recipients and Center staff sat. Karla Bloem, the head of the
International Owl Center and the Festival as well, gave an introduction to the Award Ceremony. Following
her introduction, was a performance by Hooston, the Center’s mascot AND by three owlet mascots! A very
entertaining night, indeed. As dinner was being served, we chatted with the people around us. The lady
sitting next to me was a long time volunteer for the Center and the one that organized the banquet. She
is also retired and now raises dairy goats in the town. Across from us was a younger couple who met at a
Pelican Festival! They love owls as well and the lady of the two even did some research on Flammulated
owls! I gave her my card so hopefully we will hear from her.
7:30 PM
After dinner and lemon sorbet dessert, the Awards Ceremony began with Dr. Jonathan Slaght’s Award. He
received the Special Achievement Award which is awarded to humans that made a significant contribution
to owls through a specific project or for efforts in a specific geographic area. The Special Achievement
Awards are sponsored by the Global Owl Project.
The second recipient of the Special Achievement Award was Sumio Yamamoto, an expert also in
Blakiston’s Fish Owls, not in Russia, but in Hokkaido, Japan. His presentation would be the following day.
Last but certainly not least, was the final award and talk received and done by Dr. R.J. Gutierrez, who lead
the Owl Prowl expedition the night prior. His award was the Champion of Owls Award, and award given
also to humans who have had a broad geographical impact, usually at least continent-wide, on owls in
multiple fields such as conservation, science, legislation, education, and/or rehabilitation, usually over a
lifetime (20+ years of work with owls). His presentation was of the great controversial issue of the Spotted
Owl habitat being overcome by the Barred Owl, as well as the habitat loss of the Spotted Owl. This issue is
the buzz of the owl community since it is happening in great numbers as we speak. The Owl Eye reported
on this issue in the Fall 2016 issue. To summarize, the Spotted Owls in the Southwest US, California and
the Pacific Northwest are being traumatized by the incoming and non native species, the Barred Owl.
These two species are related, but the Barred owl is much more aggressive and takes over the Spotted
Owl’s nesting sites, eats what they eat (and much more) and is pushing them out of their home territory.
Thus, the Spotted Owl is quite endagered and at risk of extinction. The controversy lies in what to do with
the Barred Owl. When the Barred owl is removed from the area, the Spotted Owls come back. Is it worth
it to kill one species for the sake of another and all of the biodiverse species it effects? These are today’s
questions.
Dr. Gutierrez also commented on the current issue of “fake news” and “fake science”. His concern lies
in the fact that the main population of people are not really told the correct facts about science, and
therefore will not be able to make educated decisions concerning our environment and for the future. The
Owl Eye is dedicated to bringing you the factual science, even if there is controversy surrounding it.
SUNDAY
9:30 AM
More sleep was had Saturday night afte the
Banquet, but we saddled up for nine-thirty
presentation with the Illinois Raptor Center’s
second group of live owls - the Small Owls. We were
presented with a Short-eared Owl, two Eastern
Screech Owls and a Barn Owl. The Short-eared
owls are always such an interesting owl to see.
Jacque Nuzzo was speaking again and confirmed
the fact that there is even less information about
Short-eared owls than other owl species. They are
a stunning bird with what looks like a black and
white mask on their faces, dark-rimmed yellow
eyes and white feathers all around their small
round faces.
The owl of the weekend, in my book anyway, the
Eastern Screech Owl, also made an appreance.
There were two owls, one grey and one red morph
(red/orange colored feathers). I love these cute
owls becuase they look like they are cut out of
stone.
The Barn Owl did a lovely flight show and then
perched on one of the speakers for a few minutes,
seeming to not want get down. It was his show,
afterall.
IRC Barn Owl

11:00 AM
The next presentation at eleven was by Sumio
Yamamoto, and expert on the Blakiston’s Fish
Owls in Hokkaido, Japan as well as one of the
recipients of the Special Achievement Awards
at the Hall of Fame Banquet. Mr. Yamamoto
did not speak too much English, but his
translator, Carol Hanson, was helping out.
Mr. Yamamoto started out with a little
cultural background on the Fish Owl of
Hokkaido. As some of you avid Owl Eye
readers know, the Ainu people of Hokkaido
revered the Owl in a god-like way. It is a large
bird and a master fisher, so the Japanese
people of that area thought very highly of
it and thought it to be an animal god. In
his slideshow, Mr. Yamamoto included a
two pictured of Japanese Woodblock prints
depicting some of these cultural ceremonies.
Another interesting fact is the Editor of the
Owl Eye also works at a Japanese Art Gallery
where they buy and sell Japanese Woodblock
Prints! You can only imagine her excitement
at this presentation.
The slideshow went on to describe the efforts
of Mr. Yamamoto in Hokkaido. He is mainly
concered with putting up owl boxes for the
Fish Owls in the trees that still exsist in the
area for the owls to nest and breed in and
talking to the surrounding neighbors and
companies on how to preserve this treasured
species. One of his efforts involved creating a
perch for the owls on top of electrical lines so
that fewer of them get electrocuted.
2:00 PM
The talk of the town during the Festival was the premier of the new film by Make Believe Media!
“The Secret Life of Owls” starred Alice, Karla Bloem’s Great Horned Owl, Karla, Laura and Neil from
The Raptor Resource Project in Iowa and thier Great Horned Owl, Robbie. Robbie is an imprinted
owl and Laura is his owl mom. The film went into the work that Laura is doing with Robbie to train
him to be as close to a wild owl as possible - from creating obstacle courses for him to fly though to
teaching him how to pounce on a rodent outside in the woods.
Karla and Alice were also featured in the film as well and we learned about some of the research
that Karla has done and continues to do on the different vocalizations of owls. Alice is of course
her primary subject, but studies from wild owls are also integrated into Karla’s work. It is really
fascinating how owls communicate with each other and us with all of the varieties of hoots.
The film itself was a delight to the eye! No pun intended… the cinematography was exquisite, as well
as the photograpghy and narrtive. As soon as it is available in the United States, the Eye will share
where this film is being presented.
4:00 PM
This wrapped up the Festival for the 2017 year, and as we walked out of the gym and outside, talking
to Sumio and his translator, Carol, I reflected on all of the great experiences we had there; the Owl
Prowl on Friday, all of the talks on Saturday and the banquet, more talks on Sunday and then this
amazing owl documentary. My hope is that through events like the International Owl Festival, the
World Owl Conference in September, and with the help of fimmakers like Make Believe Media, (and
of course The Eye) we can help to share owl conservation issues and ways to help owls themselves
through education and science. If you have not yet gone to the Festival, please consider. There is a lot
to be learned and to be taught.
Dr. Laura Johnson and Robbie,
giving us a bashful eye.
31
Hiroshige Owl
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and
one of the last great artists in that tradition. pinterest.com
The running theme throughout the
presentation and with Dr. Slaght’s as well, is
that the main reason for the suffering of this
owl is human invasion of habitat and all of
our endevors to make money out of natural
resources. Everything is being depleted; trees,
water, food - and it’s effecting not just us, but
our other earthly inhabitants, too. It’s time
to find alternate ways around all of the forest
destruction.

OWLS
Northern Ireland’s only
Owl, Bird of Prey &
Exotic Animal Centre
This engaging chronicle of how the author and the
great horned owl "Bubo" came to know one another
over three summers spent in the Maine woods--and
of how Bubo eventually grew into an independent
hunter--is now available in an edition that has been
abridged and revised so as to be more accessible to
the general reader.
The primary aim of the “World of Owls” is to ensure the
survival of owls throughout the world
This objective will be achieved by rescue,
conservation, education, research and
restoration of their natural habitat.
World of Owls is a registered charity NIC100938
Sumio Yamamoto’s book, The Blakiston’s Fish
Owl, is a book that you can only find now
in used book stores. However, if you are
up for a challenge to google translate this
fantastic book about the works and studies of
Sumio, you will be rewarded. It is published in
Japanese.
Info for this book is at: nhbs.com
“World of Owls” hopes to bring people, young and old, from
all sections of the community to a beautiful location where
they can be shown the need for conservation by one of
nature’s most wonderful creatures. The education program
of the “World of Owls” is designed to facilitate the National
Curriculum’s key stages in order to help Northern Ireland’s
younger generation learn about a range of topics including
environmental and ecological issues.
Objectives:
Northern Irelands Premier Owl, Bird of Prey and Exotic
Animal Conservation Centre
Working to benefit education and conservation for
Northern Ireland
Boobook Owl image from WOO site: www.worldofowls.com
All the animals at World of Owls have been
rescued, some of them from some really horrible
places and situations.
World of Owls has the most diverse species
collection of owls in the UK and Ireland.
Dedicated and fully trained voluntary staff
World of Owls is open within the very beautiful
Randalstown Forest.
Please visit our site at:
www.worldofowls.com
we could use your help!
34

The Hidden Lives of Owls
The Featured Owls
Eastern Screech Owls
©Joel Bakker
35 Photo: Jeff Grotte

Description: Greyish-brown morph: The facial disc is pale greyish-brown, finely motled or vermiculated darker, and having
a blackish rim. The eyebrows are paler than the surrounding plumage. Eyes are bright yellow. Ear-tufts are short, and
prominent when erected. The bill and cere are greenish-olive, and the whiskers at the base of the bill are pale greyishbrown.
Upperparts are greyish-brown, with blackish shaft-streaks and fine transverse bars or vermimculations. The crown is
like the back, with blackish shaft-streaks and fine, dark vermiculations. The scapulars have blackish-edged whitish outer webs,
forming a line of white spots across the shoulder. Flight feathers are barred light and dark. The tail is greyish-brown, mottled
and vermiculated dark, with several thin pale bars. The underparts have blackish shaft-streaks and irregular cross-barring.
The upper breast has some broad shaft-streaks the resemble dark spots.
Tarsi are feathered to the base of the greyish-brown toes, which are partly feathered and bristled. Claws are dark horn.
Grey and red morphs: Similar in pattern, but general colouration is grey or fox-red respectively.
Eastern Screech-Owls can be confused with Western Screech-Owls. One way to tell the difference is the bill colour:
Eastern Screech Owls have grey-green bills while Western Screech Owls have grey to black bills. They can also be
distinguished by their different calls, and only occur together locally in eastern Colorado and southern Texas.
Size: Length 18-23cm. Wing length 145-175mm. Tail length 62-100mm. Weight 125-250g.
Habits: A nocturnal bird, with activity begining after sunset. The Eastern Screech-Owl flies fairly rapidly with a steady
wingbeat (about 5 strokes/second). They rarely glide or hover, but may fly with erratic movements, when manouvering
through wooded areas. Their wings are broad and the head is held tucked in giving the bird a stubby appearance when flying.
When threatened, an Eastern Screech Owl will stretch its body and tighten its feathers in order to look like a branch stub
to avoid detection, but will take flight when it knows it has been detected. In open roosts, gray-phase birds tend to roost
next to a tree trunk, whereas red-phase birds tend to roost in outer foliage, possibly because of thermal requirements.
Voice: Males have a lower-pitched voice than females. The male’s most common call (A-song) is a mellow, muted trill - each
call lasts 2 to 3 seconds with about 35 notes given, and repeated at various intervals. The B-song is a descending whinny call,
often given during courtship. Duets may consist of both A and B songs. Females tend to bark or hoot when defending the
nest. Young “peep” for food during their first three weeks, then chatter or hum later. Fledglings demand food with a harsh
“keeeerr-r-r-r”. They do not call while in flight, except when alarmed.
Hunting & Food: Eastern Screech Owls hunt from dusk to dawn, with most hunting being done during the first four hours
of darkness. They hunt mainly from perches, occasionally hovering to catch prey. This Owl mainly hunts in open woodlands,
along the edges of open fields or wetlands, or makes short forays into open fields. When prey is spotted, the Owl dives
quickly and seizes it in its talons. They will also capture flying insects on the wing. Small prey will usually be swallowed whole
on the spot, while larger prey is carried in the bill to a perch and then torn into pieces. An Eastern Screech Owl will tend
to frequent areas in its home range where it hunted successfully on previous nights. They are opportunistic hunters and
will switch to almost any suitably-sized prey when abundant. An extremely wide range of prey species is captured, the most
favoured being small microtine rodents and deer mice. Other mammals taken include wood and Norway rats, chipmunks,
cotton rats, squirrels, shrews, bats, and moles. Large flying insects are also taken. Birds, including many species of small
songbirds, and larger birds such as Northern Bobwhite, Rock Dove, and Ruffed Grouse comprise about 7% of an Eastern
Screech Owl’s diet. They may be captured more often during periods of heavy songbird migration. Other prey include small
fish, small snakes, lizards, and soft-shelled turtles, small frogs, toads, and salamanders, and invertebrates such as crayfish,
snails, spiders, earthworms, scorpions, and centipedes. They have been observed fishing at holes in lake ice left by fishers, or
at open pockets of water.
Pellets are medium-sized, averaging about 3.8 x 1.9 cm. They are compact, dark gray, ovals that are composed of fur, feathers,
bones, teeth, and chitin. Two to four pellets are expelled per day.
37
Info from www.owlpages.com
Photo: Jeff Grotte

Breeding: Breeding season for Eastern Screech Owls is generally around mid April, but may range
from mid March to mid May. They have an elaborate courtship ritual. Males approach females,
calling from different branches until they are close. The male then bobs and swivels his head,
bobs his entire body, and even slowly winks one eye at the female. If she ignores him, bobbing
and swivelling motions intensify. If she accepts him, she moves close and they touch bills and
preen each other. Pairs mate for life but will accept a new mate if the previous mate disappears.
Grey and red colour phases will mate together. They nest almost exclusively in tree cavities,
with enlarged natural cavities being preferred, but they will also use old Pileated Woodpecker
and Northern Flicker cavities. Nest cavities are usually 2 to 6 meters (6.5 to 20 feet) above the
ground, but may be up to 15 meters (50 feet). They will readily nest in suitable nest boxes and
occasionally behind loose boards on abandoned buildings or barns. Nests are almost always in
deciduous trees such as oaks, elms, maples, sycamores, willows, and apples; occasionally in pines.
Pairs will often reuse nest sites in consecutive years. No nest material is added, and the 2 to 8
(average 3-5) eggs are laid on natural sawdust on floor of cavity. Eggs are laid every two days
and incubation begins after laying of the first egg. The incubation period is about 26 days and the
fledging period about 31 days. Females do most of the incubating but males will assist. The male
provides most of the food while the female broods the young, and will stockpile food during early
stages. Eastern Screech Owls are single brooded, but may re-nest if the first clutch is lost. When
the young are small the female tears the food up for them.
Adults tend to remain near their breeding areas year-round while juveniles disperse in the
autumn. Siblings tend to disperse together. Small territories around nest sites are vigorously
defended by males, but pairs may nest within 50 meters (164 feet) of another pair. Breeding
territories range from 4 to 6 hectares (10 to 15 acres) in wooded suburban areas to 30 hectares
(75 acres) in more open rural areas. Home ranges are much larger, up to 80 hectares (200 acres),
but these are not defended and there is much overlap between pairs.
Mortality: While captive Eastern Screech Owls have lived for over 20 years, wild birds would be
unlikely to reach this age. Juvenile and adult mortality may be as high as 70% and 30% respectively.
Predators of these Owls include larger Owls, mink, weasels, raccoons, skunks, snakes, crows, and
Blue Jays.
Habitat: Eastern Screech Owls inhabit open mixed woodlands, deciduous forests, parklands,
wooded suburban areas, riparian woods along streams and wetlands (especially in drier areas),
mature orchards, and woodlands near marshes, meadows, and fields. They will avoid dense forests
because Great Horned Owls use that habitat. They will also avoid high elevation forests. Eastern
Screech Owls roost mainly in natural cavities in large trees, including cavities open to the sky
during dry weather. In suburban and rural areas they may roost behind loose boards on buildings,
boxcars, or water tanks. They will also roost in dense foliage of trees, usually on a branch next to
the trunk, or in dense scrubby brush.
Status: Widespread and locally common.
Original Description: Linnaeus, Carolis. 1758. Systema Naturae ed. 10, p. 92.
References:
Boyer and Hume. 1991. "Owls of the World". BookSales Inc.
Campbell, Wayne. 1994. "Know Your Owls". Axia Wildlife.
Gehlbach, Frederick R.. 1995. "The Eastern Screech Owl: Life History, Ecology, and Behavior in the Suburbs and Countryside". Texas A&M
University Press.
Johnsgard, Paul A.. 2002. "North American Owls: Biology and Natural History". Smithsonian.
König, Claus & Weick, Friedhelm. 2008. "Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World (Second Edition)". Yale University Press.
König, Weick and Becking. 1999. "Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World". Yale University Press.
Long, Kim. 1998. "Owls: A Wildlife Handbook". Johnson Books.
Mikkola, Heimo. 2013. "Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide (Second Edition)". Bloomsbury.
Voous, Karel H.. 1988. "Owls of the Northern Hemisphere". The MIT Press.
See also: Other owls from North America, Genus: Megascops.
Page by Deane Lewis. Last updated 2015-10-05.
Distribution: East North America from East Montana and the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico,
South to Tamaulipas in Northeast Mexico. Also South Ontario to Florida.
June 2/3/4/17
39

©Joel Bakker 42

Owl Art
Surreal Barn Owl By:
Tffany Mootrey
Silvia Logi Artworks, Florence, Italy.
Owl on the Moon.
Purple Owl with Amethyst Crystals By:
MagicWood Creations
Barn Owl Watercolor Painting
By Ken Sohn. Etsy
43

Lisa Carlson
Jon Ching Art
Ulula in graphite
46

Owl Jewelry
Beautifully made Barn Owl
with Succulent from Miriel
Designs!
MirielDesign
The Editor of The Owl Eye purchased
this pin through Natelle Draws Stuff. It
is a beautiful enamal pin and $1 goes
to the Avian Reconditioning Center in
Florida.
Please visit www.natelledrawsstuff.com
Elina Gleizer graduated from Shenkar college of Engineering and Design from the
Jewelry Design department, in Ramat-Gan, Israel.
I am Passionate about making extraordinary people express themselves in a rebel
-elegant way, extraordinary people who are looking to STAND OUT through
innovation, originality and high product quality.
be different, express your loud silence
Great Grey Owl Pendant
By Elina Gleizer
47

Jani Ylikangas - Photography
It all started when an intruder showed up at a forest clearing where the other owl had spent most of the
winter hunting for voles. As one owl was roosting on a dead tree the other started to fly fast towards it as if to attack
at full force. The owl roosting took a pose where its wings were behind its back and feathers fluffed. Basically it was in
no position to defend itself but rather just giving a big and powerful image. The attacker dived fast towards its target but
at the last minute spread its wings to break the speed. Then the owls grabbed each others feet and beaks and started to
wrestle in the air. They spiraled downwards until one of them gave up. Once they had repeated this exact same sequence
three times the intruder gave up and left the area.
The Fight of Torpedo Owl
All photos and story narrative by Jani Ylikangas
Jani Ylikangas is a photographer in Finland who manages the Torpedo Owl Page. The Idea for naming this
Northern Hawk Owl ‘Torpedo Owl’ came from his famous shot of her with her wings pulled back midflight.
In this story, Jani narrates his experience with seeing his favorite owl in a territorial battle with another Hawk
Owl - a rare site! Enjoy.
“In March 2014, I got to witness a rare sight - two young female Northern Hawk Owls fighting over winter territory.
As far as I know this behaviour hasn't been documented earlier so I was very happy that I managed to photograph such
magnificently choreographed aerial battle.
50

In the images one can see how theatrical the poses were. At no point did it seem they were actually trying to harm each
other. And the winner - well it was the famous Torpedo Owl seen in many of my other photos including the viral image
of her flying with tucked wings.”
Jani Ylikangas
52

Research Milestones from the Owl Research
Institute (ORI)
Highlights of Long-Eared Owl Study
Information from The Roost, the official publication of the
ORI, permission granted from Denver Holt.
LONG-EARED OWL - MONTANA
We began the Long-eared Owl study in western Montana
in 1987. The initial research question was to determine if
communal roosts of Long-eared Owls were comprised of family
groups, other related individuals, or non-related individuals.
Long-eared Owls are one of only a few species of owls in the
world that aggregate during the non breeding season to form
communal roosts. In Montana, this is usually during autumn and
winter. At times, they also nest in close proximity - but do not fit
the definition of colonial nesters.
Since the study began, a host of other questions arose, as
happens in most studies. These were simple research questions
such as: clutch size, hatching success, fledging success, food habits,
nest-site characteristics, winter roost-site characteristics, molt,
migration, and more. Even our DNA and other molecular studies,
although interesting, are simple descriptive research questions.
- Longest Year-round study in North America
- Over 225 Nests Found
- Almost 1,900 birds banded
- Over 180 birds captured
- Over 40,000 birds identified
- Long-eared owls are dependent on voles
in our area for successful breeding
- Quantified Growth Rates
- Developed quantitative method to identify sex
by plummage color
- Determined social composition of communal
roosts
- Determined social mating system
- Quantified stress response to our research
- Determined that stress does not drive early
pre-fledging nest capture
- First live owl cam on Long-eared Owl nest
Predicting sex using plumage color
Through 30 years of Long-eared Owl research, we have banded
almost 1,900 individuals and found over 225 nests. We achieved
many of our objectives and answered several original research
questions. For example, we now know that winter communal
groups of these owls rarely comprise members of the same family.
We developed a quantitative technique to discern plumage color
differences between males and females. We also unraveled the long-term mating system and determined that the owls were
seasonally monogamous, but life-long polygynous. We quantified stress hormones, which allowed us to evaluate our research
impact on these owls.
Overall, however, we are most proud of our long term data on our local populations, which indicate Long-eared Owl numbers
are declining. We are unsure of the factors influencing this and are presently trying to generate interest from other states to
conduct surveys for this species.
53
Photos from the ORI website

Owl Workshops
Hoo Knew?
Crazy Interesting Owl Facts
The term, Parliament of Owls (a group of owls), actually
came from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicals of Narnia series, when
Grimfeather brings Jill and Eustice into a meeting of owls
in Narnia.
Wild Planet Nature Tours
Hosted by the Owl Research Institute
We began offering birding and natural history
tours in 2006 in Montana, Wyoming, Alaska,
Mexico, and Guatemala. Our tours are oriented
toward birds, but include information about all
aspects of natural history including mammals,
plants, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies, geology,
and even constellations. We are passionate about
our field techniques, the educational undertone
of our tours, our commitment to a low-impact
philosophy with respect to wildlife, and our ability
to have fun. We design our tours as though we,
ourselves, are participating in them, and we hope
that every participant has an enjoyable trip. Lastly,
we make every effort to keep group sizes smaller
than 10 people, as we feel this enriches the
experience for each individual.
If you have any questions about the pace of our
tours, reservation information, guides, or travel
arrangements, please send an email to courtney@
wildplanetnaturetours.com.
If you have questions for the guides about wildlife
species or specific questions regarding a tour
please email info@wildplanetnaturetours.com
Long-Eared Owl Montana Workshop
Barrow Alaska Snowy Owl Workshop
image: narnia.wiki.com
info: Audubon: 11 Fun Facts About Owls
“Owl” in different languages
Etymologically, the word "owl" goes back to the Middle English word "oule," which may
derive from the Old English "ille," which is cognate with the Low German "ule," in turn going
back to the German "eule." The ultimate root of the modern word "owl" was presumed by
Lockwood (1993:112) to be a proto-Germanic word "uwwalo" or possibly "uwwilo."
The words for “owl” in Welsh are:
dylluan dylluanod gwdih, ngwdih, nhylluan
nhylluanod thylluan thylluanod tylluan
tylluanod wdih.
info: wordhippo.com
image: celticartstudio.com
56

Owl Myth and Lore
What people think of owls around
the world...
Mah-Meri Tribe: Malaysia
The Mah Meri Tribe of Malaysia is a small tribe famous for their wood
carvings. In early Spring, they perform a dance to aks for thier ancestor’s
blessings, a ritual for the dead. In this ceremony, the men wear elaborate
masks and go to indivifual huts dedicated to each spirit animal and hope
that the new year is prosperous.
This carving by Gali is from a design by Pion anak Bumbong. The Owl is
regarded as an omen bird and should it’s call be heard in daylight hours
it is believed to signify the coming of ill luck.
Moyang Pot carver: Gali (Rahim) anak Adam
Ten years after the last meeting in Groningen, The Netherlands, this important event for all researchers, naturalists and
ornithologists dedicated to studying owls finally returns. Since 2007, there have been many new owls described to science,
significant improvements in the technology involved with owl research, a deeper recognition of the role owls play in education,
refined survey and monitoring techniques, declines in species populations, advances in conservation strategies and recovery
planning, broader understanding of the role that owls play in ecosystems, more insights into fossils and the evolution of owls,
and a richer focus on the role of owls in human myths and culture.
This conference will bring together the world’s leaders in all aspects of owl science, conservation, education, genetics, habitat,
and ecology. As all attendees are passionate about owls, we are structuring the conference so that all attendees can hear all
presentations. As with prior conferences, we welcome attendees from all walks of life, educational backgrounds, and from all
corners of the world.
Moyang Kelong Kuwyet carver: Lija anak Uju
The original version of this mask design was by Siran anak Awas.
Amhad anak Muntil produced a slightly different version, but
it is not known which design came first. The bird concerned is
the Lesser Scops Owl, a very small bird, the sight of which is
considered a good omen in that it’s presence in a fruit tree is
thought to herald a good harvest. According to legend, the bird
has a symbolic relationship with the tiger and can call upon the
tiger to come to it’s aid should there be a need to protect the
fruit trees.
The World Owl Conference 2017 – Owls in Science and Society will take place at the university city of Évora, inside its
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, filled with historical buildings and surrounded by a breathtaking landscape – the perfect
combination of a large scientific conference and a great cultural experience.
Info from this page from the Book, Spirit Carvings from the Mah Meri, of Malaysia by Peter Crowe, permission granted
to republish by the publisher, via Shamma Esoof, The Center for Orang Asli Concerns
https://www.coac.org.my/ and www.ancient-origins.net.
58

Hide ‘n Seek
Eastern Screech Owl By Jessie Fries
A DreamID Graphics Publication 2017
www.dreamidgraphics.com
dreamofyourid@gmail.com