BECOME AN ETHICAL BIRDER
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Do unto owls as you would have done unto you |
Why do owls fascinate birders and especially bird photographers, often driving them to behave in ways that other species do not inspire?
After all, owls are not – for the most part – among our rarest North American birds. Yes, they can be hard to find, so seeing one is usually a treat for any birder. But why do they so often trigger irrational frenzies?
As owl researcher Denver Holt, the speaker at the 2022 Beckham Bird Club annual meeting, suggested, it may be because owls invite anthropomorphism. They have faces that remind us of ourselves, with wide-set eyes that peer out at us with binocular vision. They look and act smart and calm, encouraging us to ascribe to them those attributes.
Owls are a photographer’s dream. Rather than fly away when approached, owls often sit still , watching us approach and seemingly unperturbed by our presence.
But, as Holt explained, appearances can be deceiving. Owls do indeed get stressed by humans encroaching on their space, even to the point of abandoning nests. In that respect, they are no different than other birds.
Similarly, ethical birding practices around owls should be similar to those used around species that make it clear they are bothered by human presence. First and foremost, maintain a respectful distance and keep noise and commotion to a minimum. Limit use of recording to elicit owls to respond to you.
When photographing owls, do not use flash photography, especially if the bird is flying or hunting. Owls subjected to barrages of flashes show signs of being disturbed or temporarily disoriented.
Owls also tend to bring out bad behavior toward other humans. A pair of Northern Pygmy-owls did just that in Colorado recently, creating traffic issues on a narrow road, irritating local property owners and other recreational users of the area and, worst of all, significantly disturbing a pair of birds that were simply trying to perpetuate their species.
Many social media sites for birders, including several in our area, do not permit disclosing specific locations of owl sightings because it puts the birds at risk of disturbance. As eBird says in its discussion of sensitive species, “Disturbance at (owl) day roosts or use of playback can repeatedly disturb individuals, pairs, or small populations. Large crowds surrounding and following certain owls in winter (sometimes engaging in unethical baiting practices) disrupts natural hunting and exposes owls to great risk from vehicle collisions or habituation to humans.”
eBird currently masks locations for three North American owl species: Spotted Owls, Great Gray Owl, and Northern Hawk Owl, but adds that “we encourage ethical behavior around all owls.”
As noted by eBird, one of the most harmful practices around owls is baiting. Providing food to wild owls is not at all like maintaining backyard feeders, and should be done only by rehabilitators attempting to capture injured birds or by researchers who are banding or tagging owls. The National Audubon Society has a detailed discussion of owl baiting here: https://www.audubon.org/news/why-baiting-owls-not-same-feeding-backyard-birds
In our anthropomorphizing of owls, perhaps we should think of them as the avian celebrities they are and put ourselves in their feathers. Would we want to be subjected to a crush of fans and a barrage of camera flashes every time someone saw us, especially if we’re out on a date or just trying to get some rest? Would we want people throwing hunks of meat or dead rodents our way to get our attention? More likely we’d be like Greta Garbo: I just want to be left alone.
After all, owls are not – for the most part – among our rarest North American birds. Yes, they can be hard to find, so seeing one is usually a treat for any birder. But why do they so often trigger irrational frenzies?
As owl researcher Denver Holt, the speaker at the 2022 Beckham Bird Club annual meeting, suggested, it may be because owls invite anthropomorphism. They have faces that remind us of ourselves, with wide-set eyes that peer out at us with binocular vision. They look and act smart and calm, encouraging us to ascribe to them those attributes.
Owls are a photographer’s dream. Rather than fly away when approached, owls often sit still , watching us approach and seemingly unperturbed by our presence.
But, as Holt explained, appearances can be deceiving. Owls do indeed get stressed by humans encroaching on their space, even to the point of abandoning nests. In that respect, they are no different than other birds.
Similarly, ethical birding practices around owls should be similar to those used around species that make it clear they are bothered by human presence. First and foremost, maintain a respectful distance and keep noise and commotion to a minimum. Limit use of recording to elicit owls to respond to you.
When photographing owls, do not use flash photography, especially if the bird is flying or hunting. Owls subjected to barrages of flashes show signs of being disturbed or temporarily disoriented.
Owls also tend to bring out bad behavior toward other humans. A pair of Northern Pygmy-owls did just that in Colorado recently, creating traffic issues on a narrow road, irritating local property owners and other recreational users of the area and, worst of all, significantly disturbing a pair of birds that were simply trying to perpetuate their species.
Many social media sites for birders, including several in our area, do not permit disclosing specific locations of owl sightings because it puts the birds at risk of disturbance. As eBird says in its discussion of sensitive species, “Disturbance at (owl) day roosts or use of playback can repeatedly disturb individuals, pairs, or small populations. Large crowds surrounding and following certain owls in winter (sometimes engaging in unethical baiting practices) disrupts natural hunting and exposes owls to great risk from vehicle collisions or habituation to humans.”
eBird currently masks locations for three North American owl species: Spotted Owls, Great Gray Owl, and Northern Hawk Owl, but adds that “we encourage ethical behavior around all owls.”
As noted by eBird, one of the most harmful practices around owls is baiting. Providing food to wild owls is not at all like maintaining backyard feeders, and should be done only by rehabilitators attempting to capture injured birds or by researchers who are banding or tagging owls. The National Audubon Society has a detailed discussion of owl baiting here: https://www.audubon.org/news/why-baiting-owls-not-same-feeding-backyard-birds
In our anthropomorphizing of owls, perhaps we should think of them as the avian celebrities they are and put ourselves in their feathers. Would we want to be subjected to a crush of fans and a barrage of camera flashes every time someone saw us, especially if we’re out on a date or just trying to get some rest? Would we want people throwing hunks of meat or dead rodents our way to get our attention? More likely we’d be like Greta Garbo: I just want to be left alone.