Owls and the City

Apparently life in the old-growth forests is "so last season" for Barred Owls in Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina. Scientists are surprised to find that these 1-and-a-half-foot tall owls are thriving successfully in suburban habitats. Usually, these tame birds of prey are found in dense old-growth forests where the trees have large gaping holes within their trunks for favorable nesting sites. However in Charlotte, N.C. these owls recently have been found in areas where there are sparse trees and large well-manicured lawns ; a striking contrast to the textbook habitat which has long been established.

Since 2001, Rob Bierregaard, an ecologist and ornithologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his graduate students, have conducted this ongoing study and have already made significant findings on these curious owls. "My guess is that as we get more data, we're going to find that the city birds are even doing better than the country birds," Bierregaard said. The fact that these owls have drastically changed their habitat and their way of life is a key to this study because it shows these owls are capable of adapting to different habitat conditions, and are not "stuck" on one single habitat. Since they are able to adapt to different habitats, any change or lack of their current habitat will not mean the owl population will go down with it. The owls in Charlotte nest in the cavities of willow oak trees that are prominent in the new suburban neighborhoods that have recently sprung up there. Sparse trees over wide well-manicured lawns provide the owls with a perfect vantage for hunting.

The birds are doing so well in the suburban area, that they are actually reproducing faster than the adults are dying. The only threat to the birds found in the study so far has been disease and being hit by cars. This indicates that the owls are reproducing successfully, and may also be seen in other similar cities and suburban habitats.
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Posted by Christine Tauras (4)