Hi tweets,

I would like to respectfully disagree with Jason Paulios' thoughts on owl sightings - in part at least. I *would* agree that it is wise to not publicize the locations of rare or threatened species. Even more common species that use a roost that is easily disturbed are perhaps best unpublicized. I agree with him on that.

But in regards to using a birdfinding guide to "make sure that just a few specific sites aren't swamped by owl seekers." I'd say that just the opposite is likely to occur. When only owl roosts that are well known through publication are visited by birders, the pressure on those roosts is likely to be quite heavy.

I'm not necessarily saying that it was a bad idea to include specific owl roosts in the guide, but that it helps lessen the pressure on a few "known" roosts when additional info on alternative roosts is posted or published elsewhere. People want to go looking where they know others have had success and the more known spots there are, the more the birding pressure is diluted.

Again, there are always exceptions to the rules. When in doubt about the pressure a given owl will get, especially rare species, it's good not to post it, but for common species at roosts where they are high enough up to not feel threatened, then I think there is some advantage to both bird and birder in posting its location.

good owling -

Jim Flynn (that's whoo)
buteoreg at comcast.net
Seattle, WA
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buteoreg at comcast.net
Seattle, WA