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Owling.com is dedicated to the
enjoyment, identification, and preservation of the North and Central American owls. The site
has two main multimedia sections intended to give a good rounded view for each
of the owls. There are lots of pictures and sounds for those who just enjoy
nature and also detailed text information for the student and/or enthusiast who
are studying or trying to identify them. Owling.com was set up under
the belief that we will only protect these wonderful winged predators through
education, knowledge and a general appreciation for them. As I write the pages for this site, the words of a friend
and fellow birder, Ed Stonick, come to mind: "Fraternal and Cooperative Birding".
In this spirit Owling.com was created.
The graphics section contains photos, video, sound files and a brief field
notes section that has the critical information for identifying each owl in the
field. This section is what the internet is great for, with a multimedia approach
to owl identification. There is multiple photos and sound files intended to give
a rounded view of
each of the species. Other races of the same species of owl may vary slightly in coloration and sound.
The biology section contains species accounts, range maps and natural
histories. The
North (and Central) American range map for each of the owls is a breeding range
map for all of the subspecies. The map may also include winter movements for the
highly migratory species of owls. The natural history and biology write ups for
each owl include subspecies information, measurements, weights, description
(adult and young), habitat, food, feeding habits, breeding, movements and
lifespan.
This is a free site with no fees or costs for the information
contained here. All research, information and graphics have copyrights to
protect them from being commercially exploited. This is freely available for use
by students and individuals who will not publish, distribute (internet or
otherwise), or publicly display the content provided within the site. The multimedia and biology sections are cross linked
so navigating between these areas is simple from each section.
Remember that all the information within, is free to those interested in owls.
A tremendous amount of work has gone into the site and the information contained
here. Please do not duplicate, publicize, or use the information without
permission.
The conservation of nature is a responsibility we all hold. Each of
us is a little different and the methods we use to see and conserve nature is
also a little different. The concerns for both mankind and nature need to find
harmony or we will loose the precious and irreplaceable biodiversity of our
world. The concerns for people's livelihood as well as the conservation of nature
must find a common ground. Landowners and environmentalists will set the stage
as to what we leave for our children. Somewhere there is a balance between the
concerns of landowners, developers, naturalists and environmentalists. The growth
of our population, disappearance of habitat and our own differences in belief
and levels of concern for nature are very real threats to the preservation of
the planet.
Owling.com is not a forum for debate on how to solve
these problems. There is very little controversial information contained here for the methods of owling
or the conservation of land. There are no exact
locations for any of the birds because of the immensity of the internet and the
potential pressure this would add to specific groups of individuals. General
locations and dates are given for each of the photos and sound files so that
specific races (subspecies) can be determined. If the viewer of the site gains a little
appreciation for the owls and their awesome splendor, then that is good enough!
Enjoy your owling and experience in the site.
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