[TN-Bird] FW: barred owl behavior

Hi Steve
I saw almost this exact behavior as a Barred Owl watched me watch it settle 
down for sleep. Think how squirrels, birds, all kinds of critters behave if you 
go motionless for several minutes. I won't go as far as saying they "forget" 
you're there, but they appear to lose vigilence/flight urge. Birders and more 
hunger-driven hunters take advantage of this. 
How did the situation you witnessed resolve itself? Did the owl fly away or 
stay? Did the mob leave or stay? Did any of the mobbing individuals stay and 
forage in the area, and if they stayed did they seem to lose their fear of the 
owl? I ask this because "my" Barred Owl's behavior felt almost like a 
cross-species communication gesture (the way dogs, horses, and bears all 
understand the "play bow") -- "look, I'm settling down and have no intention of 
hunting you. You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone."

Thanks for your opinions, observations, speculations.

Liz Singley
Kingston TN



------- Original Message -------
From : Stephen Stedman[mailto:SStedman@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent : 12/15/2005 6:47:21 AM
To : tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc : 
Subject : FW: [TN-Bird] barred owl behavior

Yesterday while taking part in the Clay Co., TN, CBC, I observed a
Barred Owl being mobbed by songbirds. It was perched on the lip of a
large cavity. At least twice during the time I watched it and while it
was being mobbed, the owl bowed its forward considerably, closed its
eyes, and remained motionless for 30 seconds to a minute, appearing, to
my eyes at least, to transform itself into a stump-like part of the
tree. I do not think it was looking down into the cavity as its eyes
appeared to be closed. I am wondering if this behavior, not mentioned
in the BNA account for this species, is known to anyone who deals with
Barred Owls much. I have a photo of the bird in the position described
above.

Steve Stedman
Cookeville, TN
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the count in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual date of observation should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_____________________________________________________________
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp

_____________________________________________________________

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