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Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:14 pm
by EternalLaughter
Kivia wrote:
Do you know what kind of owls they are? That's pretty sweet though, and I would love to see pics if you have them <3
Back home my dad was telling me how they've been seeing Great Horned Owls around, as well as hearing them.
They're barn owls. I enjoy seeing them from my window upstairs and I have some photos of the owls in my room.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:40 pm
by Neamara
Owls are pretty interesting birds. ^^
Snowy owls and barn owls are my favourites hands-down, though I've never seen any owls where I live... When I used to go with my parents to biker rallies there was one that had a show with some owls and their handler. At another we only ever heard an owl during the evening though we were near a barn so it's likely that it was hunting somewhere nearby. I think my interest in owls comes from reading (and watching) Harry Potter books (and movies); another book I vaguely remember reading in school was The Owl Service, by Alan Garner.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:49 pm
by EternalLaughter
I've seen some shows where they bring in different types of birds and owls that you were allowed to touch. Its a really cool experience to even see an owl in the wild or even be able to pet them.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:41 pm
by SilkenGalaxy
Owls are some of my favorite creatures! My definite favorite species are Barn Owls, Northern Saw-Whet Owls, and Burrowing Owls. Barn Owls and Burrowing Owls can be found in the state I live in, but I've never personally seen one, but I have seen Barred Owls at the local zoo.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:19 pm
by Shiranuiii
- Ahh I absolutely love snowy owls, they’re probably my favourite, I love them so much cx
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:38 pm
by alethe
EternalLaughter wrote:I've seen some shows where they bring in different types of birds and owls that you were allowed to touch. Its a really cool experience to even see an owl in the wild or even be able to pet them.
lol, any place that allows people from the general public to handle/touch their owls isn't a place to support. it makes people think "ooo pet bird" and honestly contributes to illegal taking them from the wild and other bad things.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:25 pm
by DaniBeez
I found an owl feather out biking today, took it home, and shared it on my uni's wildlife club Facebook group asking for identification help. I had two different people from a local bird education/rescue PM me all excited that it was a barred owl feather, which is apparently very rare for our area! Now I must protect it at all costs, lol!
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:29 am
by alethe
dani, that’s illegal. I’m shocked nobody told you that.
In 1918, the United States and Canada signed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making it illegal to trap, kill, possess, sell or harass migratory birds, and the protection includes their eggs, nests and feathers.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/17/ ... -feathers/
the MBTA applies to both the usa and canada. Best let that feather go. Besides, its reused in nature.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:22 pm
by DaniBeez
I'm aware, want to keep it anyway though. I tape them to my bedroom wall.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:24 pm
by alethe
talking about illegal things is against wq rules tho
Its a federal crime dani. Its not worth it.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:57 pm
by Sambhur
sorry but i think it's hilarious that your message seems to be worded in a way that implies "i tape them to my bedroom wall" is justification for breaking federal law. i would be careful though, you're not exactly anonymous on the internet and it's a very silly thing to let yourself get in trouble over.
while i'm in this topic, i think i've only seen an owl in the wild once, if that wasn't just a dream i had as a child that got turned into a false memory haha. i don't think i've ever even heard one before around here.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:09 pm
by alethe
exactly, besides, bird feathers can contain parasites and other nasties you don't want in your house
but anyway -- speaking of barred owls, i'm starting to handle the big one at the center. he's a doll, i love him. he hates me.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:46 pm
by DaniBeez
My final comment re the feather:
Consider why and how this Act was written the way it was. It encompasses all parts of the animal for a specific reason: to make it easier to obtain convictions in serious cases where birds are actually being harmed, sold, or exploited at large scales. This total coverage removes the chance of defences like, "I was just picking up these feathers for fun". The wording makes prosecution simpler.
Your respective concerns are not necessary. I'm at virtually no risk of prosecution for picking up a single feather. Federal law or not, the exploitation of living wildlife is happening at much greater scales than people picking up the odd feather. There are bigger fish to fry.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 10:01 pm
by alethe
who cares? it sets a bad example. they have no way of knowing that you didn't kill the bird to get that feather, especially if barred owls are rare in your area. your excuses for keeping it are, frankly, kinda immature. i expect more from someone who is a biology major (if i am not mistaken). it doesn't matter that there are "bigger fish to fry." you know its wrong -- so why do it?
if you want to pull the "why the law is written," here you go.
without this law
like -- say i had a snowy owl feather collection. i posted it on the internet, got popular from it. say you live in an area with few snowy owls. but you want to get popular too! so one day you see one, and you could wait for it to maybe drop one feather -- or you can get a ton of feathers in one go. so you shoot the bird and get a ton in one go.
Re: General Owl Discussion
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:48 pm
by Koa
Going to step in here and say that we do technically talk about illegal activities on the WolfQuest forum (take the article I shared about the illegal wolf killing in Germany yesterday) but from a point of education and awareness, so your warning
alethe is kind of unnecessary and borderline backseat moderating (for something we don’t enforce in a binary way). The attitude on this thread needs to change— it reminds me of 2014.
Previous discussion on past topics (that you two have both participated in) have made it very clear that the collecting of bird feathers and other parts is illegal, so I don’t think it’s a good use of anyone’s time to justify or condemn the activity on a thread for general owl discussion and beat the other’s opinion into the ground (or herald their own). I also don’t think it needs its own separate thread, because I can just see this pointless back-and-forth discussion continuing. I recommend that you all move along and stay on topic so this thread doesn’t get locked.