I've returned!!!!
Now, this week has been super busy and super fun. I started Tuesday just going over some studies about Great Horned Owls and general urbanized birds. After discussing with some people, I found a connection I thought was pretty interesting. So, in the wild, Great Horned Owls are not nest-builders. They often take abandoned nests (usually from Red-Tailed Hawks) or use crevices or holes in trees or other places (Powell 2004). This is fine in the woods, but many owls have started migrating to the city due to the increase in food abundance and nesting sites (Shochat, et al 2008). In Arizona, especially in Maricopa county, this is especially dangerous because our environment doesn't have suitable trees that could be used for the owls' nests, which forces the owls to either use the crevices in palm trees, areas of a building, or flower pots. Now, these palm trees are extremely unstable and weak and cannot provide satisfactory nesting for the owls. Meanwhile, during spring and summer, the building and flower pots can heat up and potentially burn the nestlings, which force the nestlings to "abandon ship." This brings me to my next point. If you remember in my last post, I talked about the huge number of Great Horned Owl fledglings during February to May. With the information that urbanized owls have unstable nests, I was able to use my Wednesday to cross-reference the time owl orphans were brought in with the weather patterns (particularly wind speed and storms), and saw that days the owls were brought in correlated with higher wind speeds. From this, I was able to hypothesize that the high wind speeds cause the nestlings or fledglings to fall out of their nest, so when a person finds them, they'd be brought in here. I thought this was interesting because it was a clear example of how these owls may adapt to urbanization (by building or finding stronger nests), and also first sign that my research is leading to something that we might be able to change (yay!).
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| Great Horned Owl doing breaststroke, for fun |
So, I am excited to say that yesterday Liberty Wildlife held its first ever field trip, which consisted of 50 kindergartners and 10 chaperones. On Wednesday, I was led to believe that I would be helping Ms. Suits, my on-site mentor, lead an arts and crafts activity with the kids. On Thursday morning, however, I learned that one of the volunteers called in sick and that Ms. Suits had to leave me to lead the activity by myself. So, that was an experience. I was able to teach 50 very distracted and hyper little children how to make owl puppets out of paper bags and no one died, so I consider myself successful. Sadly, I don't have pictures because I was too busy working, but there might be some on the website, so I'll keep you guys updated on those.
Okay, so I don't think I have anything else to talk about (next week I really want to focus on American Kestrels, so be prepared for that), so I guess we'll go into the animal of the week: the sea otter, which just happens to be my favorite marine animal!
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| Hi, I'm a sea otter. |
1) The otter is the only marine mammal without a layer of blubber (a.k.a. fat).
2) The otter has the thickest fur of any mammal (about 1 million hairs per square inch. To compare, the average human has about 2,200 hairs per square inch on his/her head).
3) Otters, in their free time, will build slides along the banks of rivers and spend the day playing in them.
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| Looking something like this |
Well, that's all I have prepared for you this week. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, just post them below and I'll get back to you when and if I can.
Have a nice life, and treat others the way you want to be treated (#TheGoldenRule)!!!!
Hey Korina! This was such an interesting post, especially because of the connection you made between the number of owls being brought in and their home/nest/weather environment! It made total sense (which most things don't usually in my mind... so yay?). Quick question: you mentioned how might be useful information to be able to change how owls adapt to urbanization. How exactly could we change that? By helping create nests? Shifting owls to more sturdier trees if they have already established nests in weaker trees? Thank you, and I can't wait to learn about the next 'animal of the week' (the sea otter is one of my personal favorites as well) and American Kestrels! Good luck <3
ReplyDeleteHey Saleena! Thank you for commenting, and I'm glad you enjoyed my post! I personally feel that the most successful behavioral adaptations can only happen if the animals continue it without direct help from humans, so my potential solution to this would be to plant sturdier trees in Arizona. Sadly enough, many of Arizona's native trees are pretty thin, which may force the owl's to begin building their own nests (which they have been starting to do (unsuccessfully)) until they get to the point where they can have a stable nesting site for their fledglings. Additionally, I'd like to point out that palm trees shouldn't even exist in Arizona. They're an invasive species that take up a lot of water and are only planted due to their aesthetic appeal (sorry, I have a lot of issues with the palm tree), so I also think cutting down on the number of palm trees that are in Arizona will allow the owls to look for other (hopefully more sturdy) sites. I hope I answered your question. I kinda just went on a rant at the end, so sorry about that. I can't wait to read your next post!
DeleteHi Korina! I'm so glad to hear you were able to friend some trends. Although it is sad that these owls are pushed out of their habitats, it is cool to see how they are adapting and living on! Is this trend, of more fledglings coming in during the times of storms/winds only found in the Great Horned Owl? Or is this a common trend for lots of species, not even just birds? Can't wait to see more!
ReplyDeletePS Watching otters slide down things is the cutest thing ever and can make an atrocious day amazing.
Hi Julia! Thanks for commenting, and I'm glad you liked the otter slide (I also was really happy to learn about that). To answer your question, I would think that this trend would exist for a lot on non-nest-builder birds that have begun living in the cities. The American Kestrel, for example, also does not build its own nests, but has been nesting quite a lot more near cities. However, the Kestrel's main mating time is during the summer (which we all know can be painful in Arizona), so right now I'm researching the chance of Kestrel fledglings left their nests because they became overheated (since the concrete and asphalt actually cause urban areas to be significantly hotter then rural ones). I'll see what I find out, and maybe talk about it in my next post. I don't know how common this is for non-bird animals; I haven't really looked into that too much. But I can definitely get back to you on that if I find something interesting. Thanks again for commenting, and I can't wait for your next post.
DeleteHey Korina! Awesome post and great work with those kids. The last time I dealt with children one of them tried to punch me in the face but ended up hitting his friend. It was not a very good time. Anyways, I have two questions. First, did that owl actually swim? For some reason I thought owls wouldn't be able to fly if their feathers got wet, but it's pretty funny to see a stern owl gracefully swimming! Second, since sea otters have such thick fur, does their fur get super heavy when they get wet? Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Kyle! Sorry to hear about that traumatic experience with the kid, and I'm glad you didn't get punched. I can actually give both of your questions an answer in one go, though. The majority of birds and otters produce oil on their fur/feathers that allow them to be "water-repellent." For birds, this allows them to fly some time in the rain. However, if they stay in the rain too long, they will eventually get wet and it will be difficult for them to fly, as you said. So, the owl probably did get really wet in this gif and was just swimming to land as it couldn't fly. Otters do have the special gland to secrete oil onto their fur, but interestingly enough their top layer of fur is actually water-proof. Because of this, the otters are still relatively light in the water, which allows them to be so graceful and fast, and can also dry off extremely quickly when they go back to land. Thanks for the awesome questions, and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog!
DeleteGreat post! I really don't have that much to say other than "Amazing!" I really love that we get to learn so much about wild life with you. And remember, "Everybody try laughing. Then whatever scares you will go away" (My neighbor Totaro). - I really don't know why I put this...
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks Ryan! I always appreciate compliments about my blog and Totoro quotes, so I'm glad you did put it. Thanks for commenting, and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog.
DeleteHi Korina, I really enjoyed your post! Congratulations on your first breakthrough. About the otters, I'm assuming that they don't need blubber because of the heat insulation of their fur. Is there an advantage to fur over blubber and a reason why other marine animals use blubber rather than fur? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey, Jacob! Thanks for commenting! Also, great question. To answer your question, I'm pretty sure for otters, the lack of blubber makes them much lighter, which in turn makes them extremely fast in water. For this reason, I think that's why the otters evolved without blubber. The other marine mammals with blubber (i.e. seals, sea lions, whales) are all extremely large and since they do have a layer of fat, don't need to eat as often as the otters, which means they don't have to be as fast. Additionally, the lack of blubber makes the otter a lot more comfortable and graceful on land, which gives it an advantage. Well, I tried to answer your question. Thanks again for commenting, and talk to you soon!
DeleteHey Korina!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, this was a really fun and informative post. I really enjoy the animal of the week bit! I thought that the correlation that you found between the bad opportunities for nesting and wind speed was really interesting... do you think that it could be solved by simply planting more preferable trees, or would we have to artificially create appropriate habitats?
Thanks!
Hey Malia! The thing is, though planting better trees does seem like the obvious solution, sadly enough, many of Arizona's native trees are pretty thin, so we would have to plant either a non-native species or do something else. What I think would be the best solution (because I feel that in order to have an animal successfully adapt, the humans shouldn't directly help) is that the owl will begin building their own nests (which they have been starting to do (unsuccessfully)) until they get to the point where they can have a stable nesting site for their fledglings. While I was studying the kestrels, I saw a lot of sites telling people how to make artificial nesting boxes for them. I think making artificial habitats would be a fine short-term solution, but if more owls or kestrels keep coming in because they think that cities now have better nesting sites, and then more come, and there's not enough sites, and then chaos. Anyway, I really tried to answer your question, but I think I just died at the end. Sorry about that. Thanks for commenting, and I hope my weird reply didn't deter you from my blog.
DeleteHi Korina! Fantastic post! Firstly, I commend you on managing 50 little children, and secondly, it is good to see how far your research has come with the Great Horned Owl. With the owls, are they indigenous to Arizona? Sorry, I don't know if you are considering diet, but if you are, with the more urban settlements, have you seen any changes? The Sea Otter gif, reminded me of the amazing scene in Finding Dory. Thank you for that. Can't wait to see where your research takes you next.
ReplyDeleteHi, Sri! The owls aren't indigenous to Arizona, per se. They're more like indigenous to the entire North America, which means they also live in Arizona. And about diet, I actually was considering that and I do have some fun stuff about the Kestrel (which I will talk about in my next post). For the owl's diet though, I'd say many of their usual prey (rabbits, mice, rats, other birds and owls) haven't changed that much since their transition to the city. The only thing I got is this study that says that birds in the urban areas get a higher quantity of lower quality food, which can in turn affect nesting development and growth. I think that helped your questions. I can't wait to read your next post!
DeleteHi Korina! Like the other posts, this one was just as great. Leading the activity with those kindergartners must have been really wild and fun. Did you enjoy their company? I'm glad your research is proving successful! Thank you and good luck with your further research!
ReplyDeleteHey Kasi! I'm glad you've been enjoying my blog! I love kids, so I did enjoy working with the kindergartners. That is, until they started using the owls they made as weapons and began shooting all the other kindergartners. That's when things started going downhill. Thanks for commenting, and I hope you continue to enjoy my posts!
DeleteHI Korina! Sorry for replying so late but I've been sick the past few days and stuck in bed. I think it's great that you found something that we could change in order to reduce the number of owls that have to be rescued. Will finding a solution that leads to less owls having to be rescued and testing it be a goal of your senior project? Good job keeping all those kindergarteners entertained; it must have been stressful seeing as you thought you would have help initially. Good luck with the rest of your research!
ReplyDeleteHi, Nicolas! You're fine, and I hope you're feeling better! My initial goal for my senior project is to discover how these birds have been affected by urbanization. If I can find a realistic and awesome solution to helping the species, that would be great. However, I have realized and accepted that there will be some issues that I won't be able to directly help with. For the most part, the best solution is for animals to adapt in a way where no one will get hurt. But that's a lot to hope for, so let's see what happens! Thanks for commenting, and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog!
DeleteKorina,
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat observation about the nesting habits of the Great Horned Owls. Is there a way that homeowners can create "nesting sites" for the owls that are safer than the palms or planters, or is that overall more detrimental to the birds?
-Ms. Cooney
Hi, Ms. Cooney! Thanks so much for commenting! I'm really glad you asked that, though. As I've been studying the Kestrels this week, I've found a lot of websites telling people how to make artificial nest boxes for the kestrels in order to observe them. What I personally think would be the best solution (because I feel that in order to have an animal successfully adapt, the humans shouldn't directly help) is that the owl will begin building their own nests (which they have been starting to do (unsuccessfully)) until they get to the point where they can have a stable nesting site for their fledglings. I think making artificial habitats would be a fine short-term solution, but if more owls or kestrels keep coming in because they think that cities now have better nesting sites, and then more come, and there's not enough sites, and then chaos. That answer slightly died at the end. Sorry about that. However, I do think the artificial boxes are better than the planters. With the palm trees, though, I think the best solution about that would be to just decrease the amount in Arizona, as they are an invasive species, take up a lot of water, and are only planted for their aesthetic appeal. If there are less palm trees, there's a better chance that the owls will either find new places to nest, or, as I said before, will begin their own nest-building. I really tried to answer your question, so I'm sorry if I just went all over the place. Thanks again for commenting, and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog!
DeleteHi Korina! It's so nice to see how far you've progressed in such a few short weeks. I also loved how you included so many pictures and gifs that made reading a little more entertaining. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete