A rare bird alert is usually a fortunate event: But not so for a Northern Hawk Owl that earlier this month.
Northern Hawk Owls usually live in the boreal forests of Alaska and Canada, only dipping south on occasion to search for food and to nest. In fact, in the Lower 48 this winter. So when birders on the began posting about one of the white-faced, smoky-plumed raptors in Okanogan County, Washington, in early January, a stream of camera-, scope-, and binocular-carrying folk started lining up on Cassimer Bar Road.
But as the visitors gathered throughout the week鈥攕ome even checking in from Oregon鈥攁 nearby resident , telling them that scopes and binoculars were 鈥渙kay,鈥 but that they couldn't take photos of his property. On January 9, birders noticed that the neighbor had posted a sign: 鈥淣o photos allowed.鈥 Later that day, the owl was photographed hanging dead by one foot from a tree branch. Presumably, it had been shot. The case is currently under investigation by the , which owns the land.
Since the death of the owl, a heated discussion on birding ethics has risen on the "Tweeters" forum. It鈥檚 unclear if the perturbed homeowner was responsible for the death of the creature, which is protected under the federal , but some are assuming that the influx of birders may have led to its tragic end. 鈥淚f any of us pushed the limits of respect to this property owner . . . [we] are in part responsible for encouraging his deplorable actions,鈥 Beth Thompson, a birder who decided against visiting the owl, .
If this was indeed a tale of revenge, as bird lovers and conservationists, how can we prevent it from happening again? 鈥淭he bird鈥檚 safety must always come first,鈥 says wildlife photographer and 2015 探花精选 Photography Awards Melissa Groo. This is the golden guideline of the American Birding Association's , she says: to promote the welfare of birds and their habitats. Anything we may do to jeopardize either of these . Even though Cassimer Bar Road is public, the owl was perched on private land; no matter where you鈥檙e standing, pointing scopes and cameras towards someone鈥檚 window could 鈥渇eel invasive,鈥 Groo says.
Other members of the birding community urge caution as well. Noah Strycker, who last year, says that when a landowner expresses that they don鈥檛 want you there, 鈥淸birders] need to find another rare bird to chase鈥攊t鈥檚 time to leave." It鈥檚 important to consider how your presence will disturb the human neighbors, too, since they hold a lot of sway over the bird鈥檚 well-being.
To avoid tensions from rising, it鈥檚 important to give back to the local community by supporting it鈥攅ither by getting lunch in town or shopping at local businesses. 鈥淭he community is providing [birders] with something special,鈥 says Christi Norman, 探花精选 Washington鈥檚 director for the scrub-steppe conservation program in Eastern Washington. Conversation can also be key. "The more communication, the more up-front you can be with the community, the better,鈥 Strycker says.
Of course, that doesn't put the reponsibility solely on birders. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 just kill wildlife because it鈥檚 inconvenient to us,鈥 Norman says. An owl, particularly one that happens to be among , should never bear the cost of our differences. In the end, this story isn鈥檛 about who鈥檚 right or wrong. It鈥檚 the start of a conversation about what will happen the next time a rare bird swoops into town.