Superbowl

From Hung Do

Barred Owl

Pa-Hay-Okee, Everglades National Park

New Year's Day brought an overcast morning, but the resident owls made an appearance shortly after sunrise. Both flew out onto the roadside and stayed out all morning with only the male retreating a little deeper into the cypress dome. I found the female in the same spot around noon as I was leaving the park.

From Raven Ridge Wildlife Center

A call came in very early on Sunday morning regarding a Great Horned Owl in need of help. The owl was large and capable of flight but was extremely weak. The finder, Colleen, and her son attempted to contain the owl, but it managed to evade them. Colleen was able to send photos of the owl, clearly demonstrating that it was in distress. Our rehabilitator met Colleen at the exact location of the owl. Upon arrival, they found the owl perched in a tree, appearing very weak and having difficulty staying perched. It was soaked and had trouble keeping its wings close to its body. When approached, the owl flew across a cornfield while being chased by crows. It took flight again, remaining low to the ground until, in its weakened and exhausted state, it was finally captured safely.

Our rehabilitator was horrified by the owl's physical condition and quickly identified the cause of its illness. The Great Horned Owl was suffering from a severe case of trichomoniasis (also known as frounce in raptors and canker in pigeons and doves), a contagious disease caused by a parasite that affects the upper gastrointestinal tract. This condition leads to lesions in the affected areas, including the mouth, and as it worsens, it can hinder the bird's ability to eat, drink, and even breathe.

Thanks to Colleen for spotting this owl and collaborating with our center to get it the necessary treatment. We hope for a full recovery, although the prognosis is cautious due to the severity of the case.

Trichomoniasis is caused by the single-celled protozoan Trichomonas gallinae, which has several strains; some lead to clinical disease while others do not. This disease is primarily associated with pigeons and doves, but raptors can also be affected. On rare occasions, waterfowl and upland game birds may be infected. Domestic turkeys, chickens, and other captive birds can also contract the disease. Importantly, this protozoan is not known to infect humans. Trichomoniasis is one of the oldest known wildlife diseases with written records dating back to the 1500s. The protozoan responsible for the disease was not isolated until 300 years later.

The first photo sent to us by the finder. This was an owl in trouble.

The owl was able to fly up into a tree.

The owl flew out of the tree and across the field. Our Rehabber knew that this owl is in serious trouble and needed rescue.

Finally able to contain the owl and head back to the center.

Cornell has a nice write up of the disease, its history, and more details of how it's spread and prevention methods. Check that out here.

Excerpt:

Trichomonosis has been linked to population declines of European turtle doves and the extinction of the North American passenger pigeon. In the summer of 2005, outbreaks of trichomonosis in greenfinches and chaffinches in Great Britain occurred, resulting in mass mortalities and population declines. Outbreaks in finches have spread across Europe.

RSVP Required Join Chicago Ornithological Society for an in person program as we explore and take a deep dive into everything we know about Snowy Owl irruptions!

From Edward Lai

I recently had the opportunity to observe this deep forest Boreal Owl species for the first time. In addition to seeing it, I was able to watch it hunting a mouse in daytime.

Although it is classified as least concerned, it is less frequently seen in Canada than the Northern Saw-whet owl. The Boreal Owl is slightly larger than the Northern Saw-whet Owl.

Location: Alberta Dec 27

From Gian Luca Togon

fantastica creatura / fantastic creature

Allocco degli Urali / Ural owl / Strix uralensis

Europe - Slovenia

Taken November 3, 2024

Posted January 1, 2025

Canon set-up: FF 560mm 1/1000s F4 ISO320

From Dan Minicucci

Some days it pays to be the last one out. Found this snowy circling around a group of ducks trying to isolate the chosen one. Tonight's menu: Duck al l'orange on the sunset dinner cruise.

I have really enjoyed staying late and seeing these majestic birds take to the air in search of dinner, creating some unique images.

From Thy Bun

Locked on target!

This Northern Pygmy Owl is all focus and power as it soars through the blue sky. Nature's precision at its finest!

This post is not anti-wind farm. I just thought it shared some nice newly discovered information about a cool owl thanks to the availability of cheap mini GPS trackers. It also shows that the road to hurting our planet less is not a simple one. It poses as much danger of us not understanding or respecting our planet as much as previous means of energy production, and it is up to us to learn these details of how our planet works and finding ways of working within those boundaries.

From ABC News AU

Across Tasmania's forests, a distinctive "boo-book" sound can sometimes be heard among the trees.

It is the call of common type of owl known as a Tasmanian boobook, or morepork.

"It echoes through the forest," Associate Professor Rohan Clarke said.

Ahead of winter, some Tasmanian boobooks are known to migrate to the mainland, before returning home once the weather improves.

But until recently, their flight path across Bass Strait had never been officially recorded.

That was until Professor Clarke and a team from Monash University used GPS technology to track the owls' journey between Victoria and Tasmania.

The results have highlighted a potential impending problem: the birds flew directly through two vast zones earmarked for large-scale offshore wind farms.

*A map of the migratory path of the owls. *

"That passage that takes them through the priority area for offshore wind development … just highlights that need to understand more … so that we can better quantify the risk," Associate Professor Clarke said.

'Green-green dilemma'

According to government-commissioned visualisations, the wind farms could have turbines with spinning blades that reach up to 270 metres above the sea surface.

Associate Professor Clarke said such infrastructure could pose a significant hazard to Tasmanian boobooks, as well as other migratory bird species crossing Bass Strait, including some that are endangered.

"One is a broad impact that sees birds change their flight pathways because of the existence of wind farms," he said.

"And then at a finer scale, and a more direct level of impact for individuals, it's collision risk with particularly the rotors — so, the spinning turbine — but also collision risk with the other infrastructure."

Wind turbines in the sea.

Associate Professor Clarke described the situation as a "green-green dilemma".

"We absolutely need to transition to renewable energy and clean energy sources," he said.

"The greatest threat to biodiversity is undoubtedly climate change at a scale that is here and coming.

"So it's not about preventing [wind farms], it's about working out how we get to the right outcomes whilst minimising harm to biodiversity through that process as well."

Lightweight GPS devices tracked boobooks

To track the owls, the Monash team headed to Cape Liptrap, a coastal headland in Victoria where the boobooks are known to begin their return journey back to Tasmania.

Using padded nets, the team managed to capture five birds.

They then stuck lightweight GPS- and satellite-enabled tracking tags on their tail feathers.

The team attaches a GPS tracking device to a Tasmanian boobook.

"Within about a month to six weeks, typically the tape fails and the tag naturally falls off, so the bird doesn't have to carry it for too long as well," Associate Professor Clarke said.

The team then waited for the owls to take flight, with the expectation they would "island hop" across Bass Strait, stopping off to rest on the Furneaux group of islands.

Instead, the tracking devices revealed the boobooks flew directly to Tasmania, covering the 250-kilometre trip without stopping.

"They just jump off the headland, and for want of a better term, they just boot south," Associate Professor Clarke said.

Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, where some of the owls left mainland Australia.

Only three of the five tagged owls undertook the Bass Strait journey before their tracking devices ran out of power.

Of those three, one completed the overnight trip in about eight hours, while the other two did so in about 10 hours.

For comparison, the Spirit of Tasmania ferry takes between nine and 11 hours to travel between Geelong and Devonport.

The study has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Emu — Austral Ornithology.

More research needed for other migratory birds

There have been separate concerns that a wind farm proposal on Robbins Island threatens the orange-bellied parrot's migration route. (Supplied: Dan Broun)

Bass Strait is one of three major "flyways" used by migrating birds in Australia.

The other two are Torres Strait and the Arafura Sea, in the country's north, Associate Professor Clarke said.

Many species, potentially totalling millions of birds, travel along the routes each year as they come and go from breeding or wintering sites, he said.

"And yet we have almost no understanding of the details of that."

Associate Professor Clarke said his team's project was the first to track the flight paths of migratory birds across the length of Bass Strait using GPS and satellite-enabled technology.

Other research teams have also recently reported on the use of VHF radio wave technology to track critically endangered Orange Bellied Parrots across Tasmania and some Bass Strait islands.

Associate Professor Clarke said understanding the flight paths of all migratory birds, regardless of their threatened species status, was critical.

"These wind farms are going to be operational for 30-plus years," he said.

"And if it turns out that they deliver unsustainable mortality events for even the most common species, then that can act as a really significant sink on [a] population."

Any renewable energy infrastructure proposed for the offshore wind areas will need to undergo environmental assessments as part of the approvals process.

From BBC

A tawny owl is set to be checked by an eye vet after being found trapped and covered in soot in a wood burner flue.

The bird had strayed down the chimney at a holiday home on Dorset's Jurassic Coast at Upwey near Weymouth.

It was rescued by pest control expert Kenny Best and a log burner specialist who took the unused stove apart, revealing the owl's talons.

Mr Best said the owl was being cared for at a bird sanctuary and was due to have fuller checks on its eyesight after it was found to be "missing his perch".

Tenants staying at the home over New Year reported hearing scratching noises from inside the flue.

Mr Best said finding the stuck owl had been "very surprising".

"We looked up at the flue and saw a pair of talons hanging down," he said.

"We got a rod from the van and managed to get him down but he was covered in soot and couldn't open his eyes".

The owl was wrapped in a towel and taken to nearby wildlife conservationist Derek Davey.

He said after cleaning it up and giving it an eye wash, the owl was "looking a lot happier and eating well".

But despite being able to fly again, it was not able to land securely on a perch.

Mr Davey said he had been unable to establish if the owl was male or female as it had not been calling.

He said the owl would be kept at the sanctuary "until I'm sure it's ok, then released back to its territory".

Mr Best said repairs were being made to the holiday home's chimney to prevent further birds becoming trapped.

We've covered this a few times already, but it's usually very popular, plus each write upbhas its own details. This post even has a second link to more info and photos! Check it out, and learn about this fun and unique methodology!

From New Mexico Wildlife Center

On Wednesdays we wear pink. Well, really, this Western Screech-Owl patient wears pink every day, we just can't see it without a black light!

Some birds, including most owls, have pigments called porphyrins in their feathers. Human eyes can't detect those pigments in normal lighting conditions, but under an ultraviolet (or "black") light, porphyrins fluoresce and appear bright pink or red to our eyes. Unlike humans, owls can see ultraviolet light, which helps them navigate in the dark and notice visual signals like the fluorescence in feathers.

Porphyrins fade over time, though, so older feathers lose their fluorescence and newly-grown feathers glow especially brightly. Using a black light, scientists can see when an owl is a very young bird with brand new flight feathers, because all of the owl's primary feathers will fluoresce about the same shade of bright pink! It gets better, though: many owl species only molt some of their primary feathers each year, replacing them all over the course of a 2- or 3-year cycle. Some of those species are fairly predictable in the order in which those feathers are molted and replaced. Knowing this, then, a black light can reveal exactly how old some owls are, at least for the first few years of their lives!

In these photos, the light is not shining on the owl's primary feathers, so we'll let this bird keep their age a secret. Using an ultraviolet light to determine a bird's age is part of the data collection process at owl banding stations, where researchers usually classify the owls' ages as HY (hatch year), SY (second year), or ASY (after second year). This post from a banding station in Michigan shows what Northern Saw-whet Owls of different ages look like under ultraviolet light!

From Donna Feledichuk

This image is only possible because I was using a 400mm f2.8 lens and due to countless hours of practice in photographing great gray owls. To get all the detail and not have blur in the wings shooting at lower shutter speeds at dusk is from tons of practice in the field. Opportunities for backlighting on great gray owls are not frequent. The weather needs to cooperate not always the case in the north and the owl needs to be in the right position. This image is about technical skill, fieldcraft and knowledge coming together in a single frame.

From Bryce Gaudian

Long-eared Owl. Among the most incredibly amiable of all the owls I've ever had the privilege of spending time with. Minnesota. Winter 2024.

From Bryce Gaudian

She's quite mysterious and elusive. But, ... see her in her chosen dwelling place in the deep woods 99.9% of the time that pass through. She flies from her pine bough perch to a nearby tree and gives me favor for at least the opportunity to try to thread-the-needle-of-focus through the deep woods tangle in attempting to capture her beauty. Barred Owl at Myre-Big Island State Park on Christmas Day. 12/25/24.

From Chad Sawyer

This short-eared owl is out here living its best life-perched like a king on its cornfield throne. Pretty sure it's judging my photography skills, but hey, it stayed still long enough for me to get the shot, so no complaints!

Just a reminder: even in the middle of nowhere, someone's always watching... and silently roasting you.

From Bruno Antonioli

Eagle Owl in flight Oasis Saint Alessio, PV Canon R6mk2, RF100-500; F5 ISO2000 T1/2500

From Raven Ridge Wildlife Center

This Great Horned Owl, was recently rescued by Sargent Ritter from the Pennsylvania Game Commission in York County after it became ensnared in a fence. When a raptor finds itself trapped or entangled in fencing, netting, or other hazards, it is crucial to secure assistance immediately, as they may hide serious injuries beneath their feathers.

Upon arrival, this weary owl exhibited signs of exhaustion. A thorough examination revealed a few superficial injuries and tangled feathers, but the good news was that it showed remarkable resilience as it began to regain strength in the flight cage. The rehabilitation process emphasized the importance of returning this remarkable owl to its original location, where it could reconnect with its mate.

In Pennsylvania, the courtship for Great Horned Owls occurs in January and February, establishing them as one of the earliest breeding raptors in North America. These owls are deeply committed to their partners, often choosing to mate with the same individual for many years. Their nesting preferences are diverse, utilizing old crow or hawk nests, squirrel nests, tree holes, caves, and even human-made structures. A devoted pair prepares their nest by clearing debris and the female carefully lines a central hollow with feathers before laying two to three eggs at several-day intervals, typically in February. During incubation, the female may even be momentarily covered by snow, highlighting the intensity of her nurturing instincts.

Great Horned Owls are known for their fierce protection of their nests and young. In fact, they have been known to defend their territory aggressively, even confronting humans who stray too close. Furthermore, they are intolerant of other owls near their nests, showcasing their fierce dedication to their families. After about a month, the eggs hatch, bringing forth downy-white nestlings that are completely helpless. These young owls will not be able to fly until they are nearly three months old, when their contour feathers finally develop, readying them for the skies.

From Eduardo Pulgar

Snowy Owl from yesterday morning during the snowstorm. I took this shot from my car handheld, shutter speed at 1/125s, IS0 2000 since had very little light at that time. Waterloo region, ON

From Offaly Live

The barn owl population in North Tipperary has seen an increase for the first time in 15 years, Cllr Michael O'Meara told a recent meeting of Nenagh Municipal District.

“The County Council deserves praise for this,” the Councillor said. “They have been very pro-active and have handed out barn owl boxes to communities throughout the county. In my area, in Lorrha/Rathcabbin, we have erected the boxes and it's been great to see barn owls using them. There are now seven breeding pairs in the Lower Ormond area. Very near where I live there's a breeding pair with three chicks.”

The Councillor appealed to members of the public to not use rodenticides “because they are a big killer of barn owls. Unfortunately, in winter rodenticides are used more.

“If people want to take part in the barn owl conservation project they can contact me. The Acres scheme is a tremendous scheme."

ACRES = Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme

This new €1.5 billion flagship agri-environment scheme is a farmer-friendly scheme to help address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support for up to 50,000 farm families in Ireland.

The owl part of the program seems fairly straightforward. Install up to 2 barn owl boxes meeting the requirements and receive €36.48/year per box. Here is a picture of the officially designed box:

The guides they provide look very helpful, and I love they took the important steps to try and reduce rodent poison exposure. I don't know how well that is actually enforced, but at least they're trying!

Here are the guidelines of the program

Barn Owl Nest Box

Objective

This action provides safe and secure artificial nesting sites for Barn Owls in suitable locations.

Background The Barn Owl is the most threatened species of owl in Ireland and is on the Red list of ‘Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland’. Barn Owl populations have been affected by changes in land use, the loss of suitable prey-rich habitat and nest sites, and the increased use of rodenticides. There can be significant benefits for Barn Owl and other wildlife by providing safe and secure nesting sites in the form of nest boxes in suitable locations, creating and enhancing habitat and reducing the risk of secondary poisoning through best practice rodent control measures.

Site suitability

Although Barn Owl nest boxes can be provided on any farm which has a suitable location, nest boxes are of most value in areas where Barn Owls are more abundant and where there may be less nest sites available. These areas are shown on the Barn Owl suitability map inthe Barn Owl nest box guidance document available on https://www.gov.ie/ACRES. Outside of these areas, nest box/es for Kestrel can be provided as an alternative to Barn Owl nest box/es. A design template for a kestrel nest box is shown in Appendix 2.

Other actions that should be considered to complement this action are Grass margins – Grassland; Grass margins – Arable, Low input grassland, Winter bird food, Over winter stubble, and Unharvested cereal headlands. Actions that can be selected on the same LPIS or split of parcel are: Brassica fodder stubble, Catch crops, Coppicing of hedgerows, Environmental management of arable fallow, Extensively grazed pasture, Geese and swans, Grass margins – arable, Grass margins – grassland, Laying of hedgerows, Low input grassland, Low input peat grassland.

Management of intensive grassland next to a watercourse, Minimum tillage, Over winter stubble, Planting a new hedgerow, Planting a traditional orchard, Planting trees in riparian buffer zones, Protection and maintenance of archaeological monuments – arable, Protection and maintenance of archaeological monuments – grassland, Riparian buffer strip – arable, Riparian buffer strip – grassland, Riparian buffer zone – arable, Riparian buffer zone – grassland, Ryegrass seed set as winter food for birds, Tradititional dry stone wall maintenance, Tree belts for ammonia capture from farmyards, Tree planting, Unharvested cereal headlands, Winter bird food plot, Winter bird food strip.

Requirements

1. Install new Barn Owl/Kestrel nest box(es) by 31 July 2023.

2. A minimum of one nest box and a maximum of two may be applied for.

3. The location(s) of the nest box/es must be clearly marked on the map submitted. The box(es) must be maintained in the same position for the duration \of the contract.

4. Nest boxes must be placed at least 3 metres above ground level.

5. Barn Owl/Kestrel nest boxes can be placed indoors or outdoors and therefore must be of suitable design informed by the location/s selected. See Appendix 1/Appendix 2 and Barn Owl nest box guidance document.

6. If rodenticides are used, you must implement an Integrated Pest Management approach to rodent control on your farm. Their use must be justified and used in accordance with the product label and records maintained regarding their use.

7. While Barn Owl nest box/es must not be located within 500m of a motorway or dual carriageway and must be below 300m in altitude (altitude above sea level), this does not apply to Kestrel boxes.

8. Once in place, the nest box/es must not be approached. It is an offence to cause disturbance to a breeding pair or at the nest site. Essential maintenance is permitted during the month of December only.

Additional guidance

• The Barn Owl is very sensitive to disturbance - their presence may be discrete and visiting the nest box at any time of the year can cause detrimental disturbance. Although the main nesting period is March to August, they can nest at any time of the year.

• If essential maintenance of the nest box is required to ensure the nest box remains suitable for Barn Owl (e.g. removing sticks from the nest box or securing it in position), this should be carried out in the month of December only, unless the circumstances warrant immediate action. Please refer to the Barn Owl Nest Box Guidance document.

• In order to monitor populations, you can register your nest box/es with BirdWatch Ireland https://birdwatchireland.ie barn-owl-survey. This information will be kept confidential and will help to monitor the uptake of nest boxes and to understand the health of Barn Owl populations across the country.

• Two people should always be present when installing/maintaining a Barn Owl box (one person to hold the ladder).

Further information: The Barn Owl nest box guidance document prepared by BirdWatch Ireland contains all the information you need on nest boxes (including an instructional video, design plans and information on the construction, installation, placement and monitoring of nest boxes), how to identify if your farm is suitable for this action, information on rodent control measures and contact details for advice relating to this action.

There's also a more in depth document here. It has many pictures of building and install options for the house.

From Larry Strack

One of my favorite photos of a failed juvenile Great Horned Owl fledge from my archives of 2023. Owlet made the attempt, couldn't fly to Mom's tree, crashed in a bed of leaves. Mom flew over to the nearest tree and tried to coax it to climb up the tree to her. It sat for almost an hour and finally ran to the tree and quickly climbed to Mom. I was a rookie photographer at this time and missed catching the little one "running" up the tree. What an experience! Photos taken near northern Minneapolis, MN.

From World Bird Sanctuary

Many times we will get asked by visitors, "Does this bird only have one leg?" Don't worry, they all have two! Birds, such as Farnsworth the barn owl, will stand on one leg for a few reasons.

One such reason is to help with heat loss. The arteries that transport blood into the legs lie in contact with the veins that return blood to the bird's heart. The warm arteries heat the cooler veins. Since the veins also cool the arteries, the bird's feet are closer to environmental temperature and thus don't lose as much heat as they would if they were at body temperature. Even so, on extra cold days, tucking a foot up and keeping it close to their warm body will reduce heat loss even more.

But what about the birds that you see tucking a leg on a hot day in the middle of summer? The other reason why birds will stand on one leg is simply that it is comfortable. When a bird is relaxing, they will regularly stand on one leg instead of both.

From Daniela Fricke

My highlight of 2024

On my morning walk with my dog at the beginning of November, I passed rowdy jays and magpies. Since it is in the hawks' territory, I thought they hated the hawk again, but then I looked anyway to see if I could see the hawk.

I looked up into the tree and immediately into the bright orange eyes of the eagle owl. Never in my wishes or imagination would I have thought I would ever meet an eagle owl here.

The bleating of the jays and magpies then attracted the attention of the carrion crows. Around 30 crows then arrived and hated the eagle owl. I felt quite sorry for the eagle owl, he just wanted to spend the day dozing somewhere in peace and now had 30 carrion crows on his cheek.

In the meantime, even the hawk came by to bleat. It was quite a spectacle all day. Simply an unforgettable experience.

It was also interesting to see that as soon as the eagle owl moved even slightly, all the crows flew up, about 100m away and then flew back to it. They had extreme respect for the eagle owl.

Since the entire area would be an ideal territory for the eagle owl, I can well imagine that it settled there, even though I haven't seen it again to this day. But it will certainly have learned to retreat to rest during the day in a better camouflaged way.

EOS R5, RF 200-800mm, 800mm, f/9, ISO 4,000, 1/500 sec., FH

From Antonius Lo

Winter family gathering. Short Eared Owl (Asio flammeus ). Southern Ontario, Canada. December 2024. OM-1 n M Zuiko 150-600 @ 600 f/8 SS 1/800 640. Taken under flurries hazy weather.

I forgot to mention I got around to updating the community icon, banners, and we also have some helpful info added to the sidebar now as well. Be sure to check them out!