Owls in North America

vogelcommando said:
Overall owl-diversity ( less then 25 species ) seems to be very low in North America, are owls so unpopulair overthere ? In Europe there are even special owl-collections and others with a heavy focus on owls ( Uilen en dierenpark ( = owl and animalpark ) de Paay and Vogelpark Timmendorfer Strand ( had back in the 1980s about 60 owl species and subspecies ! ) spring in mind. Aren't there any specialist-collections in the US or Canada ? And in private collections, are there at least some more species and / or holders ?
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Birds of prey in general are much more popular in European zoos than in American zoos. Over here only a few native species are common in zoos at all. I think this is due to Europe's rich history with falconry.

Birds of prey are almost nonexistent in private collections over here. There's a few species around but almost all of them are in very low numbers.
 
vogelcommando said:
Overall owl-diversity ( less then 25 species ) seems to be very low in North America, are owls so unpopulair overthere ? In Europe there are even special owl-collections and others with a heavy focus on owls ( Uilen en dierenpark ( = owl and animalpark ) de Paay and Vogelpark Timmendorfer Strand ( had back in the 1980s about 60 owl species and subspecies ! ) spring in mind. Aren't there any specialist-collections in the US or Canada ? And in private collections, are there at least some more species and / or holders ?
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They are popular, but we rely on mostly common native species. Even the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, which does reach TX, is so far absent. We have lots of raptor centers, but they're basically holding for unreleasable birds rather than specialty collections. I'm not aware of any specialist owl centers in North America at all sadly. The private trade in birds of prey/owls is pretty low. Very few species around outside of falconers, who again are mostly using natives. @birdsandbats may be right that it's centered around the long history of falconry in Europe.
As a whole specialist bird facilities are very few in North America. Two come to mind, Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, and Emerald Forest Bird Gardens which specializes in toucans and is more of a specialist/private breeder combo.
 
Great Argus said:
As a whole specialist bird facilities are very few in North America. Two come to mind, Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, and Emerald Forest Bird Gardens which specializes in toucans and is more of a specialist/private breeder combo.
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Depending on your definition of "specialist", you could include Sylvan Heights Bird Park in that as well; they concentrate exclusively on birds and primarily on waterfowl.
 
Great Argus said:
They are popular, but we rely on mostly common native species. Even the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, which does reach TX, is so far absent. We have lots of raptor centers, but they're basically holding for unreleasable birds rather than specialty collections. I'm not aware of any specialist owl centers in North America at all sadly. The private trade in birds of prey/owls is pretty low. Very few species around outside of falconers, who again are mostly using natives. @birdsandbats may be right that it's centered around the long history of falconry in Europe.
As a whole specialist bird facilities are very few in North America. Two come to mind, Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, and Emerald Forest Bird Gardens which specializes in toucans and is more of a specialist/private breeder combo.
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Gabbert’s Raptor Center could be considered a specialist facility. Most of there animals are rescues, and there rarest species (the Boreal Owl) appears to have died, they still have a sizable raptor collection.
 
Strange that no northern hawk owl is kept in NA, because it is native and reasonably common in Europe.

Even stranger is that great grey owl is rare, because it is arguably the most attractive owl and nowadays one of the most popular in European zoos.

BTW, owls are something of a lost opportunity for zoos. There are many globally endangered owls which could be good for conservation breeding. Owls generally thrive and breed very well in human care, and are attractive for the public.
 
Dallas has Verreaux’s eagle, Eurasian eagle, and spectacled owls.

Cameron Park has barred, barn, eastern screech, and great horned owls.
 
Jurek7 said:
Strange that no northern hawk owl is kept in NA, because it is native and reasonably common in Europe.

Even stranger is that great grey owl is rare, because it is arguably the most attractive owl and nowadays one of the most popular in European zoos.

BTW, owls are something of a lost opportunity for zoos. There are many globally endangered owls which could be good for conservation breeding. Owls generally thrive and breed very well in human care, and are attractive for the public.
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Northern Hawk-Owl and Great Gray Owl are of course both native but very rare. As most owls in North American zoos are rescues, they don't show up very often.
 
UOTE="Jurek7, post: 1356144, member: 502"]Strange that no northern hawk owl is kept in NA, because it is native and reasonably common in Europe.

Even stranger is that great grey owl is rare, because it is arguably the most attractive owl and nowadays one of the most popular in European zoos.

BTW, owls are something of a lost opportunity for zoos. There are many globally endangered owls which could be good for conservation breeding. Owls generally thrive and breed very well in human care, and are attractive for the public.[/QUOTE]
I think Northern hawk owls are kept somewhere in Minnesota.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg has European barn owl and Eurasian eagle-owl
 
International Owl Center has Great-Horned Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Barn Owl, & Eastern Screech Owl

Zollman Zoo has Northern Saw-Wheat Owl
 
Great Argus said:
Strigidae

Megascops

Western Screech-Owl (5-7 holders)

ASDM
CALM
Cascades Raptor Center
Racine?
The Living Desert
World Center for Birds of Prey
Zoo Boise?

Eastern Screech-Owl (31 holders)

3 Palms
Akron
Anita Purves Nature Center
Audubon Sharon
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Bear Mountain State Park
Bergen County
Canadian Raptor Conservancy
Carolina Raptor Center
Cincinnati
Cosley
Discovery Place Nature
Great Plains
Great Plains Nature Center
Houston
Jenkinson’s Aquarium
Lee Simmons
Leesburg Animal Park
Living Treasures
Louisville
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science
Sandoway Discovery Center
Scovill
St. Louis
The Zoo in Forest Park
Upper Schuylkill Valley Park
Wildwood
Willobrook Wildlife Center
Zoo Tampa


Ptilopsis

Southern White-faced Owl (3 holders)

Bronx
Metro Richmond
Sacramento


Pulsatrix

Spectacled Owl (19 holders)

African Lion Safari
Brights
Canadian Wildlife Park
Carolina Raptor Center
DAK
DWA
Edmonton Valley
Fort Worth
LA
Lake Superior
Metro Richmond
Safari North Wildlife Park
San Francisco
St. Louis
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Toronto
Tulsa
Woodland Park
World Bird Sanctuary


Bubo

Great Horned Owl (59-60 holders)

ABQ Biopark
African Lion Safari
Alaska
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Animal Adventures
Aquarium of Quebec
ASDM
Audubon Sharon
Austin
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Bear Creek Pioneers Park
Bear Mountain State Park
Beardsley
Binder Park
Bronx
CALM
Canadian Raptor Conservancy
Cape May
Carolina Raptor Center
Cascades Raptor Center
Catoctin
Claws & Paws
Cleveland Museum of NH
Cohanzick
Cosley
Dallas
Hemker
High Desert Museum
Indian Creek
Irvine Park & Zoo
Jack R. Facente Serpentarium
Lake Superior
Lee Simmons
Leesburg Animal Park
Living Treasures Laurel Highlands
Maine Wildlife Park
MacKenzie Center
Manitowoc Lincoln Park
McCarthy Wildlife Center
Minnesota
Navajo Nation
Ochsner Park
Oklahoma City
Phillips Park
Pine Grove
Sacramento
Salmonier Nature Park?
Santa Barbara
Saskatoon Forestry Park & Zoo
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
St. Louis
Staten Island
The Living Desert
Toronto
Turtle Back
Upper Schuylkill Valley Park
Western North Carolina Nature Center
Wildwood
Zollman

Eurasian Eagle Owl (31 holders)

African Lion Safari
Animal Adventure Park
Aquarium of Quebec
Boulder Ridge
Brights
Bronx
Canadian Raptor Conservancy
Cape May
Cascades Raptor Center
Central Park
Cincinnati
Claws & Paws
Edmonton Valley
Gulf Breeze
Jacksonville
LA
Lake Superior
Luray
Milwaukee
Natural Bridge
Omaha
Riverbanks
Rosamond Gifford
Roscommon
Safari North Wildlife Park
San Diego
San Francisco
The Wild Animal Park
Toronto
Virginia Safari Park
World Bird Sanctuary

Pharaoh Eagle Owl

Woodland Park

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl (Milky Eagle Owl) (8-9 holders)

African Lion Safari
Cincinnati
Dallas?
DAK
Fort Worth
Oregon
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
World Center for Birds of Prey
Zoo Atlanta

Snowy Owl (30-31 holders)

African Lion Safari
Alaska
Assiniboine Park
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Bergen County
Big Bear Alpine
Bronx
Brookfield
Canadian Raptor Conservancy
Cascades Raptor Center
Howell Nature Center
Indian Creek
John Ball
Lehigh Valley
Lincoln Park
Louisville
Maryland
NEW
Ochsner Park
Rockton
Roger Williams Park
Salmonier Nature Park?
Seneca Park
Staten Island
The Zoo in Forest Park
Toledo
Toronto
Tulsa
Woodland Park
Zollman
ZooAmerica


Glaucidium

Northern Pygmy-Owl (1 holder)

Point Defiance


Micrathene

Elf Owl (1 holder)

ASDM?


Athene

Burrowing Owl (38 holders)

ABQ Biopark
ASDM
Assiniboine Park
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Brandywine
Bronx
CALM
Calgary
Cascades Raptor Center
Charles Paddock
DWA
Edmonton Valley
Elmwood Park
High Desert Museum
Houston
Lake Superior
Living Coast Discovery Center
Knoxville
Memphis
National?
National Aviary
NEW
North Carolina
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Phoenix
Queens
Sacramento
Salisbury
San Antonio
San Diego
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
San Francisco
Saskatoon Forestry Park & Zoo
St. Louis
The Living Desert
ZooAmerica
Zoo Miami


Ciccaba

Chaco Owl

African Lion Safari
Carolina Raptor Center


Strix

Spotted Owl (4 holders)

Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Center
Northwest Trek
Sequoia Park
Wildlife Center of NM

Barred Owl (51 holders)

Animal Adventures
Aquarium of the Americas
Audubon Sharon
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Bear Creek Pioneer’s Park
Bear Mountain State Park
Beardsley
Binder Park
Calgary
Cape May
Carolina Raptor Center
Cascades Raptor Center
Catoctin
Cincinnati
Cleveland Museum of NH
Edmonton Valley
Elmwood Park
High Desert Museum
Howell Nature Center
Indian Creek
Irvine Park & Zoo
Jack R. Facente Serpentarium
Lee Simmons
Lehigh Valley
Long Island Aquarium
Luray
MacKensie Center
Maine Wildlife Park
McCarthy Wildlife Sanctuary
National Aviary
North Carolina
Ochsner Park
Plumpton Park
Popcorn Park
Rosamond Gifford
Saginaw Children’s Zoo
Santa Fe Teaching Zoo
Save Our Seabirds
Shedd Aquarium
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
The Zoo in Forest Park
Toronto
Tracy Aviary
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
Upper Schuylkill Valley Park
Westwood Hills Nature Center
Willowbrook Wildlife Center
World Bird Sanctuary
Zollman
ZooAmerica
Zoo Tampa

Tawny Owl (3 holders)

African Lion Safari
Hawk Creek Wildlife Center
World Bird Sanctuary

Ural Owl (2 holders)

African Lion Safari
World Bird Sanctuary

Great Gray Owl (4 holders)

Alaska
Calgary
Canadian Raptor Conservancy
Woodland Park


Asio

Long-eared Owl (2 holders)

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
ZooAmerica

Short-eared Owl (1 holder)

Lee Simmons


Aegolius

Northern Saw-whet Owl (5 holders)

Audubon Sharon
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Cascades Raptor Center
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
World Bird Sanctuary


Ninox

Boobook sp

African Lion Safari
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Elmwood Park Zoo has a Great Horned Owl.

Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge has a Barred Owl, Eastern Screech Owls, Great Horned Owls, and a Short-eared Owl.

Conservancy of Southwest Florida has a Barred Owl.
 
Tracy Aviary has: Western Screech-Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Burrowing Owl, Long-eared Owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Barn Owl, Milky Eagle Owl, and Spectacled Owl
 
Marshy Point Nature Center in Maryland has Great horned owl, Barred owl, and Barn owl
 
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