© Killyhawk Photography by Ashley Neubrand
Last Sunday, February 11, The Peregrine Fund celebrated all things owl on Superb Owl Sunday. Owl fans got to hear from owlficianados in person and online — including a live Ask Me Anything (Reddit's version of a Q&A) on the Superb Owl subreddit featuring The Peregrine Fund's Jessica Schlarbaum and Curtis Evans.
We curated some of the most interesting questions, and Jessica and Curtis' answers, here for you to check out.
What's one thing you wish more people knew or understood about birds of prey?
One thing that I wish people understood or appreciated more was the ubiquitous presence that raptors have in human culture. Raptors are all around us and have been used as ways for us to capture and define our best qualities. We value the wisdom of owls, the speed of a falcon, the bravery and loyalty of an eagle, and the ability of vultures to reach the heavens.
As humans emerged into modern civilization we likely did so with raptors as hunting partners, and birds of prey have captured our admiration ever since. How raptors continue to be portrayed in our stories, urban legends, will have a huge impact on our ability to learn to coexist and protect their populations. Long answer short, I wish more people knew how connected we are to birds of prey. - Curtis
What do you do to rehabilitate owls? And generally what do you do in a day for your job? And do you have any interesting/funny stories?
The Peregrine Fund actually doesn’t physically rehabilitate individual raptors, but we partner with many wildlife rehabilitation centers that are equipped to do so. But I have about 10 years of raptor rehabilitation experience at other facilities before my current job at The Peregrine Fund...One of my favorite owl rehab stories required me to completely disassemble the rescuer's glove compartment because…. A screech-owl she was transporting to us escaped the transport container and made its way into a tiny hole next to the glove compartment. Screech-owls are cavity nesters and pretty small, so they are great at climbing into small spaces. It took me about 30 minutes to get the owl out as it kept moving further back into the nooks and crannies of the car! The owl was completely unharmed and after only a couple days in our rehabilitation hospital, it was released back into the wild! - Jessica
One of my favorite stories involved our male Verreaux's Eagle Owl, Oliver. Oli loves to play with his toy ball. So much so that sometimes when it’s time for him to meet folks during our public presentations he insists on bringing his ball with him. He performs all of his behaviors one footed or resting on top of the tennis ball in his other foot. - Curtis
What is, in your expert opinions, the cutest owl species?
I'm going to have to say the Northern Saw-whet Owl. They are super tiny and round and were my favorite to admit into the wildlife hospital! I had someone say they look like toasted marshmallows and I agree! - Jess
I have to say that the Burrowing Owl is a contender up there with the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Their intent and piercing stare is adorable and sincere!
I understand that the global raptor population is declining. However, I have noticed that my local one has been increasing since before the pandemic: I see at least one every day. What could be a possible explanation for this change?
My follow-up question to this would be: in what type of area do you live? That can give us a little more insight into why this is happening.
If you’re in an urban area, it could be that the local bird species are slowly adapting to the new environment with urban-adapted species moving in and settling. Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, Cooper’s Hawks, and many more depending on where you’re located are super common in urban areas. They’ve learned to specialize on prey items that are generally associated with human landscapes (songbirds at backyard bird feeders, squirrels, rats, skunks). If you’re in a rural or agricultural area, let us know and we’ll speculate as to why those habitats might be seeing an increase in raptor species.
Keep in mind that urban-adapted raptor species are just a tiny percentage of raptor species worldwide. So while they might be thriving in a human-dominated world, most raptor species are suffering from impacts of humans. That is why you will hear about the global raptor population declining. It is always interesting to see how different species can adapt, though!
