An alert owl facing threat nearby
‘With an expression that seems like we are scowling,
Known as the masters in the art of prowling,
Some do give a sign of their presence with a screech,
Definitely we prefer homes that are out of human’s reach,
Maybe in the woods, scraps or an old building,
Whichever suits a perfect spot for hiding,
If our choices make you wary,
Life otherwise for us will be scary,
The ability to turn our heads around,
Keeps us away from dangers that can hound,
Our piercing look is haunting as some may say,
But that helps us fix our focus on our prey,
Sometimes funny or uncanny, you might find our bobbing act,
That’s a way to adjust our vision as a matter of fact,
There is much more you can know about us,
If you let go of all that eerie fuss,
Persecuted for centuries as a representative of bad omens and death,
It’s time for you to change this blind faith,
There are many more things that need your attention,
Stop indirectly harming us with rodent poison and pollution,
For your pests our clan provides a solution,
Far better than the chemicals which lead your race into the path of destruction,
We are all part of nature’s delicate balance,
Tampering it for greed is not good for your sustenance,
We are watching you for your next move,
We are sentient beings who deserve respect and love…’
A cautious look
I am Tyto Alba, the Barn Owl. Our family stays near your home. Most don’t even know that we exist in the hustle and bustle of the urban landscape. Some might have heard screeches in the night or noticed a huge white apparition flying over their head during those late after-dinner walks. We tend to mind our own business and use the night time to hunt. Naturally evolved to see better during night, our vision helps us catch our preys silently, especially our favourites, the sneaky squeaky rodents. By morning we are back to our nests. There would be a commotion among the day birds if by mistake we were seen outside during day time. They fear us as we are raptors of the night.
During the day if we are outside then we are treated harshly by others for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Mobbed by crows, bulbuls, babblers and mynahs, we take refuge wherever we find safety and darkness. This is how I arrived in my new nest. After my regular night ride, I got lost and felt disoriented at day time, and flew right into a group of crows which are collectively known as ‘murder’ (how ironic that is!). While trying to evade the angry mob of the crows, I found this safe haven, which I now call home. Mankind shouldn’t be afraid of us; in fact, we do more service to them as exterminators of pests. Still some believe in superstitions and fear us. I hope their baseless panic doesn’t end up exterminating our species from the face of Earth.
Curious Owlets peeking out to see what lies ahead
I was born in one of the vents that are meant for the maintenance of drainage pipes. Old buildings with lesser human intervention can offer perfect spots for nesting. I was feeling safe along with my siblings under the wings of my parents. They provided food and protection; all we had to do was cry to get maximum attention. We slowly learnt to eat like adult owls who can eat the whole prey and leave the undigested matter as pallets. We loved wandering around inside our nest. One day during dusk I was able to look out of my nest to see the cacophony of the urban landscape around us. The scene was quite unnerving. However, even at this stage we young ones knew that a day will come when we would be on our own out there. Finally when I was old enough to come out, the crows caught me defenseless during daytime and that led me to my new abode here.
Crow bothering the owl
Every day poses fresh challenges. Day birds create a ruckus in front of my nest. A lonely night hunter roosting near their nests has alarmed social birds like babblers, mynahs and bulbuls. They always make their point by conveying their discomfort loud and clear. I am more careful near crows as they have a knack to sneak up and peck the hell out of me if I am spotted by them during the day. Then appeared from nowhere the nightmare that gave me sleepless days. Two topaz-tinted eyes watched me from the shadows of the window right above my nest. The sunlight fell upon paws with hidden claws that can maim a bird in seconds! The incisors of these creatures can bite and grab its prey by neck and choke it to death. A stray cat had located my nest, thanks to the alarm calls of the birds who left the scene once this predator arrived. For cats anything with feathers is a blissful source of nourishment. This cat was cautious as it knew that it is dealing with someone who can pay back in the same coin. Skillful and expert predators by all means, cats can climb and get hold of me if I don’t stay alert. It is a hard task to fend them off. They try repeatedly and never give up until they succeed. This cat tried to come near me but I kept my vigil throughout the day. For the feline intruder it has nothing to lose, for me I will have to pay a heavy prize if my wings are injured and that too during the day time. I was able to pass the crisis but I knew the raids will continue. The cats and birds would come back for me again and again.
Owl warning the stray cat
These ferals and strays are privileged in many ways – they always find some allies in the humans! Ferals are animals who are either themselves or descendants of those animals who were kept in captivity or domesticated. They are untamed spirits but they still have a few tricks hidden under their sleeves that can make human swoon over them. Cats, dogs, pigeons and the list go on. Somewhere in their mind, they know keeping man close to them yet not to close benefits their survival. Who will not fall for those kitten eyes? The soft corner that humans have for these feral animals is indirectly hurting the wildlife population. I quote from George Orwell’s famous novel Animal Farm: ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’ – unfortunately in some cases, this holds true. Familiarity, affinity and support from humans have given these ferals and strays an advantage over us, the born wilds. They are mostly generalists in their food habits and can survive on scraps thrown by humans. They adapt quite well according to the anthropogenic pressure. We, the wild native birds find difficulty in availability of food sources and also safe-nesting places. All animals are not the same and can’t be treated in the same manner forever. In the wild, we play by different rules and it is better if humans put in an effort to understand the intricacies of our world. Most of us are living in a human-managed environment because we have been forced to; there are hardly any places left out there that’s wild. Wildlife certainly needs their space and peace to survive.
Resting as there is a long night ahead
We somehow manage to live under these hard conditions. I am not sure how long I can stay in this home without fearing the danger of a human or a feral driving me out. Worse, I might not live to tell the tale of the onslaught from the raiders of the day. If I escape then I am left with no option but to move around looking for another safe nest and this cycle will continue. As the day is about to end today, I look forward to rule the night once again. It is that time I fly up in the sky and look down upon the perils of the living with dread. I wish for a new dawn where humans accept our role in nature, and respect the ways and habits of wildlife.
New Occupants took over
(P.S.: The nest of the owl was later taken over by feral pigeons; maybe the owl has found a safer place to nest, let’s hope so….)
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