Growing up Great Horned
Owls cause no end of controversy in the bird watching community, particularly in New York City. Reports of an Owl sighting, especially in Central Park, send the bird paparazzi running with their long lenses and rumbling murmur. If you’ve ever been to a know Owl hotspot, like the Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota, or the Shawangunk Grasslands up state, you’ll know that owl obsession is not unique to New Yorkers. Something in their symmetrical faces, long stares, and dapper camouflage completely captivates us. And you don’t have to be a photographer— I’ve seen plenty of passers by wow’d by the site of an owl in the middle of Manhattan seen through my viewfinder or share binoculars.
How should we interact with owls? Like all bird species, habitat loss and prey deprivation have them on the road towards towards extinction. Owls can be so secretive that we won’t even know when they’re gone— although if you know where to look, their absence can be glaring. I’ve been really fortunate in my outdoor career to spend time amongst some real owl aficionados, and they’ve taught me a lot about how to find them. Its amazing how consistent they can be with enough space, the right habitat, and respectful viewing. Every time I spot an owl, I remind myself not to take the experience for granted. I’m not some owl-expert, I’ve leaned on a ton of guidance throughout my time Owling, and its important to pay that forward.
But we can love our owls to death. A well known owl nest say abandoned for nearly 3 years after large tour groups were brought day after day right underneath it to ooh and ahh. Don’t get me wrong, the whole reason this website exists is to make you ooh and ahh. My time as an actor taught me that context and timing are everything in appreciation, and its no different with wildlife. More New Yorkers must learn about their Empire of Owls— you can’t love and protect what you don’t know exists. Its equally important that we don’t smother our wild things with our adoration and affection. It’s a lot like being at the Stage Door of a Broadway show with a big TV star. Both you, and they, will have a much more memorable experience if you can remember they’re a real human being, just like you, who experience joy and fear and anxiety. Voltaire had a saying “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
We don’t own nature. But by appreciating it sustainable, it can belong to us, the same way we belong to it.
