Owl Facts Owl Forum Rescue Keeping Breeding Buying Hunting Owls

Hi,
First, I hope I'm posting in the right section as I couldn't find a specifically for introductions.
I'm currently researching raptors in general as I've never owned one. Like lots of people I've always admired birds of prey, but life commitments prevented me from taking the interest any further until now. Now I've got all my children into school, have a garden big enough to build a large mews and the time to school a bird, I'm reading as much as I can about hawks and owls (husbandry etc) before I do anything about it.

My family are members of the Sealed Knot, the 17th century re-enactment society. One idea I've had is to take a bird with me to living history and fly it there. Falconry amoungst the higher class families declined in the 17th century (thanks to the civil war) but poorer families did keep smaller owls as pest control, as well as larger owls and common B.o.P's for hunting food.

Don't ask me why, but there's something about owls that's aways pulled me (long before Harry Potter put one in a parrot cage ) maybe it's their faces(?) I don't know...

Anyway, at the moment I've the vague notion of owning a Barn owl to begin with. I've already established that there's a vet with experience of caring for raptors locally (finding a good vet is always a must for any 'exotic' animal) as well as a falcon club where I've been told some folks own owls. I'm hoping to find a mentor there.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you all with your advice.

Best Wishes
Elaine

Welcome Elaine,

superb opening post. I hadn't heard of the sealed Not, but will look it up, as I love medieval themes.

A Barn owl is a lovely owl but the general advise is start with a large owl, such as the European Owl or Eagle owl, as to have owls flying you have to commit to weight management, the smaller the owl the less room for error.

If you were to get the barn owl, the brown breasted European barn owl for some reason seems the more friendly, not that the common barn owl isn't, but the European barn owl seems to want human company more than the common barn owl.

Two friends of mine, a bop display team have both barn owls, for some years now and swear by this,

Hope this helps,

Atb, Mark

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the kind welcome and useful advice.

It just goes to show how 'green' I am eh? What you say makes perfect sense. The bigger the better (as oppose to my theory which was the reverse) is pretty obvious when explained in relation to weight management. It's also good news for me as I like 'em big lol!

I've done some reading on European Eagle Owls and also Bengal Eagle Owls, both are stunning birds! From a point of view of historical accuracy I suppose I should focus on the European as explaining how a 17c family got hold of a bird from Asia could take a fair stretch of the imagination.

I'm also looking at Harris Hawks and Common Buzzards. I suppose I could get a hawk and an owl, but I've a feeling the noise could be more than the neighbours could bare!

Of course one day I'd lurrve a swift little Peregrine (who wouldn't) but am realistic enough to know that I have to learn to walk before I can fly if you follow me. I think from a Living History point of view (sitting on my glove lookin' impressive, but appoachable) the owl has the edge. It may just be me, but I do think people have positive feelings about owls and that far predates the Harry Potter effect.

Is it me of is there a lot less on the web about owl keeping than that of other BoP's? I hope you're forum takes really takes off, no pun intended!

BW's
Elaine

Hi Elaine,

You are an asset to the owl forum with your posts, keep it up lol

European Eagle Owls were part of the UK up until the keepers hunted them to extinction, ( some difference of opinion on this ) so the EEO would go well with the medieval theme ?!?

The snowy owl was seen in the UK as late as the eighties....just a thought? Though they are noisy

The buzzard as a hunting bird ( in general ) is not, very hard to get hunting as apposed to scavaging. The Harris hawk is the 'beginners bird of prey' but how would it fit into your theme? I don't know when they were first introduced.

I hope the owl forum takes off, you are right there are not many places to discuss owls, as they are in general shunned by falconers, even though you can hunt with the larger owls.

Atb, Mark

Hello and Welcome!!!

i had the previledge of watching a Sealed Knot demonstration (not sure the correct term). Snowey owls are not a good beginners bird, they are tempermental and are very difficult to train, a european eagle owl or a bengal eagle owl are good beginners birds. i own a bengal so am more biased towards them, but have worked with EEO adn they are lovely.

Welcome and i hope you enjoy!!

Good point Lauren Snowy owls are for experienced owlies, they are as Lauren described and not for beginners. I hasten to add, I was not recommending the Snowy owl as a first owl, merely shedding some light on the history of the snowy owl in the UK and where they might fit into the Sealed Knot, or not?

Atb, Mark