Aim and objectives

The owl project aims to create sustainable insurance population and assist in Environmental Education Awareness within communities. In order for people and Owls to co-exist peacefully, people need to be educated about owls, their biology as well as the benefits of having owls in their communities.  This is another aspect that Zoo’s owl education program has focused on.

Owl profiling

Owls are birds of prey from the order Strigiform which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. 

Johannesburg Zoo has the following collection of owls: Spotted Eagle owl, Barn Owl, Cape Eagle and White-face scoops owl that we train for owl talks as our conservation project.

Spotted eagle owls

Lwazi and Nhlanhla – Spotted Eagle Owls.  These sisters are almost 10 years old. They were hatched at the Zoo and were hand reared specifically for education purposes.  They are still young and very mischievous; they have just started taking walks in the zoo with the Trainers.  They are very close and get upset if the other one isn’t close by.

Barn owl
 

Stinson – Barn Owl.  Stinson is 12 years old; he was rescued from a pet shop by nature conservation authorities and was brought to the Zoo when he was just a month old.  He is often taken for walks around the Zoo and is very popular with the public.  Pictured with Stinson is one of the bird section’s volunteers Dave Begley, Dave volunteered at the Zoo every day and has been involved with training Stinson since he arrived at the Zoo.

White faced scops owl

 

Peanut – White Faced Scops Owl.  This small owl is the oldest education owl we have, she is 25years old.  She was bred and hand reared at Johannesburg Zoo.  She may be small but she has the biggest attitude of almost any bird in the zoo, she is also very talkative (as most females are).   She always makes sure you know who’s in charge.  

Cape eagle owl

Nkani – Cape Eagle Owl.  This female owl is 8 years old.  She was also bred at the Zoo and specifically hand reared to be an education Owl.  She is a large owl but very gentle.  She has a very good appetite and gets very grumpy if her food isn’t supplied on time.

The African wood owl

Gylfie- African wood owl. She is 14years old. This little owl has a big personality and a quite picky in terms of who is allowed to train her and can get a bit feisty as well.

The Purpose of this owl project 

The reason why we have this owl project is to create educational awareness for people, giving people interesting facts about owls and inform people about the benefits of having owls in our communities.
 

Owl talks 

Owl talks takes place at the main gate on Thursdays and Friday from 11:00-11:30am.

 

Why do we need to protect owls in our communities?

In South Africa Owls generally have a very negative reputation due to   mainly cultural and traditional beliefs (i.e. they are believed to bring bad luck and death and are also believed to be associated with witchcraft).  Because of this negative reputation and associated beliefs owls are often persecuted and killed.  Many people are unaware of the benefits of owls in that they eat predominantly rodents and so can assist in the control of rodents which carry diseases.  Placing a nest box for owls on a property can help control rodent populations (one family of hungry barn owls can consume more than 3,000 rodents in a nesting season) while maintaining the naturally balanced food chain.
 

Myths about owl

 

• The modern Western culture generally associates owls with wisdom and vigilance.

• In modern Japan, owls are regarded as lucky and are carried in the form of a talisman or charm.

• They are also believed to bring bad luck and death and are associated with witchcraft.

 

Threats to owls

The most significant modern threats to owls are

• Habitat loss,

• Pesticides that poison the birds and their food supplies,

• Persecution because of superstitions.

• Vehicle collisions, 

     * Human wire fences,  and even well-meaning birders can also be hazardous to owls.

The life cycle of an owl

Ecological importance of owls

An important role in the environment by controlling small animal populations. Owls are key stone species in an ecosystem because as predators, owls play because mammals are a primary prey item, this can be especially beneficial to humans, reducing the amount of food lost each year to rodents. Barn owls are also a food source for other animals.
 

Fun facts about owls

• A group of owls is called a parliament, wisdom, bazaar, or study.

•  Baby owls are called owlets.

• Owls can rotate their heads and necks as much as 270°. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae compared to seven in humans, which makes their necks more flexible.

• Owls are one of the few birds in the world that don’t take part in the annual migration process. In some areas the owls do not move to warmer climates such as those that are found in the North, a good example: snow owls.

• Barn owls can eat up to 1000 rats in a year.