Dublin Falconry

Just a update on the two sisters now 40 days and 37 days . Placed in large pen to finish off growing and learning to fly , balance and depth perception. Won’t be long till in the air.

Sheila had her first Hawk Walk for a group of four today. Good strong winds , she outdone my expectations and already hit the castle roof twice. Some girl.

Just another perfect ring delivery from J.J at the castle ,

Just a pic of the length of a female Harris Hawk leg.

Showing off there long legs.

Another two females out of second clutch 28 and
25 days old. Welcome to your new life.

Sheila in flight this morning at our outdoors studio event. Thanks Sonya.

Some nice photos of our early training sessions. Doing much better than I anticipated.

Tree training , the start of my approach to quality hawk walks.

Another lovely gift sent from Canada to add to my collection. Thank you Cynthia.

Our corporate and wedding set up for our guests at the castle.

First free flights from Sheila today for my American guests. No problems very happy may the fun begin.

Just a few better photos of her today. Big change for me flying a social reared imprint. But two more ladies on the way soon.

Let’s see how Shelia gets on now ready for training. From egg to brancher 61 days old.

Another two females looking good and strong .

I was always wondering why my certs stopped being posted. All downloads I never looked at my mails. Nice to see however.

Well more good news after a bad start. Our new flying stock all imprinted to meet our free lofting goal.

Here’s another life to enter our centre.

Good afternoon welcome to Dublin Falconry
Pixie and Polly

Egg buddy says infertile to second clutch. So opened one of the eggs and a live specimen inside.

Welcome my new charge Polly, 10 weeks old Sunday. We lost Stella a month ago after 13-1/2 years .

Press Release #1 Journal of Raptor Research 58(1)

For owl plumage color, size matters
Authors: Emily V. Griffith, Nova Mackentley, Chris M. Neri, and Alec R. Lindsay

In a new study, scientists in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan shed light on a previously unknown relationship between plumage coloration and size dimorphism in Long-eared Owls (Asio otus). Published in the Journal of Raptor Research, the study challenges previous assumptions and provides valuable insights into s*x identification and morphological variation in this North American raptor species.

Male and female Long-eared Owls have visible differences in their plumage, with males typically displaying very light plumage and females being darker with buffier brown hues. However, the study of nearly 2,000 owls banded from 2016 to 2022 in Paradise, MI identified an "intermediate" phenotype, that is neither distinctly dark nor light, raising questions about what s*x these birds may be. Using molecular s*xing techniques, researchers found that while distinctly light or dark plumage reliably indicated s*x, owls with intermediate plumage could be either male or female. Moreover, the study uncovered a correlation between plumage coloration and body size. Dark-colored owls, classified as females, were the largest, while light-colored owls, identified as males, were the smallest. Owls with intermediate plumage were also intermediate in size, indicating a correlation between color (the amount of dark pigments in an owl’s feathers) and size.

This study not only has practical implications for field researchers studying Long-eared Owls, but also raises intriguing questions about the drivers behind the s*xual dimorphism of either color or size. The authors suggest that factors such as diet, environmental pressures, and parental care strategies may contribute to the observed variation but emphasize that more research is needed before we can fully understand the evolutionary history of these differences between males and females. The researchers encourage further efforts to refine s*x identification techniques in the field, and also suggest that genetic s*xing methods can be a reliable fallback in cases of uncertainty, highlighting the importance of collaboration between institutions conducting fieldwork and those that have the resources for molecular work. As lead author, Emily Griffith, explains, “Our findings show that s*xual dimorphism in owls may not be as simple as we previously thought. With continued research and collaboration, we can further understand the fascinating relationships between behavior, environment, and s*xual dimorphism in owls and other bird species.”

Correlation Between Size and Plumage Color of Migrating Male and Female Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) is available at http://www.bioone.org/toc/rapt/current.

About the journal: The Journal of Raptor Research is a peer-reviewed, international journal dedicated to the dissemination of information about birds of prey, and is the official publication of the Raptor Research Foundation

Photo caption: A female Long-eared Owl with her wing extended, showcasing her dark plumage. This Long-eared Owl was one of hundreds banded each spring at the owl research station at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory in Paradise, MI. Photo by Chris Neri.

Once again I apologise for cancelling all falconry Saturday, Sunday, Monday. The weather is appalling. It’s out of my control.

Basil in just checking the monitor how the Harris Hawks are getting on.