Avian Beauty Podcast #16
08/16/19 • 2 min
What's the most popular bird in the United States? Well if you guessed Bald Eagle - you'd be right. But what about the second most popular bird? Believe it or not it is the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus).
There's a reason that the Snowy Owl is so popular. Firstly, raptors in general and owls specifically are some of the most popular birds worldwide and have been the subject of attention by poets, authors and artists going back to the cave paintings in Europe.
These owls are often used in movies and other popular culture to depict wisdom or strength. (Remember Hedwig in Harry Potter?) Those are admirable qualities that most people can identify with.
And the snowy owl has other qualities that make it attractive. Their white color makes them striking and easy to identify.
Another reason that people like snowy owls is that they are diurnal - you can see them at all hours of the day. The reclusive nature of most owls makes them hard to adore. Snowy's are considered more approachable.
My favorite thing about snowy owls is that there are many stories, most of them true, about the feats of these magnificent birds.
No less than John James Audubon said he once saw a snowy owl lying at the edge of an ice hole where it waited for fish and caught them with its feet.
Another story about snowy owls tracks one young bird that flew from its nest in Victoria Island in the Canadian Arctic and flew all the way to Hudson Bay.
I hope you've enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.
Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.
If you'd like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott's bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.
What's the most popular bird in the United States? Well if you guessed Bald Eagle - you'd be right. But what about the second most popular bird? Believe it or not it is the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus).
There's a reason that the Snowy Owl is so popular. Firstly, raptors in general and owls specifically are some of the most popular birds worldwide and have been the subject of attention by poets, authors and artists going back to the cave paintings in Europe.
These owls are often used in movies and other popular culture to depict wisdom or strength. (Remember Hedwig in Harry Potter?) Those are admirable qualities that most people can identify with.
And the snowy owl has other qualities that make it attractive. Their white color makes them striking and easy to identify.
Another reason that people like snowy owls is that they are diurnal - you can see them at all hours of the day. The reclusive nature of most owls makes them hard to adore. Snowy's are considered more approachable.
My favorite thing about snowy owls is that there are many stories, most of them true, about the feats of these magnificent birds.
No less than John James Audubon said he once saw a snowy owl lying at the edge of an ice hole where it waited for fish and caught them with its feet.
Another story about snowy owls tracks one young bird that flew from its nest in Victoria Island in the Canadian Arctic and flew all the way to Hudson Bay.
I hope you've enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.
Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.
If you'd like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott's bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.
Previous Episode
Avian Beauty Podcast #15
Last week on Avian Beauty, I talked about the role of owls in our culture. This week, it’s the eagle’s turn.
Whether it’s music, the written word or our national symbol, the eagle is a much beloved figure in popular culture.
Bald Eagle Photograph by Scott Bourne
Bette Middler sang of eagles as the wing beneath her wings. Singer-songwriter John Denver wrote and performed a song about an eagle and a hawk. An American rock band is even named The Eagles.
And while every state in the United States of America has its own official bird, the bald eagle soars high above them all, representing the United States of America. Images of the iconic raptor can be found everywhere, from coins and paper currency to passports and the president’s official seal.
The bald eagle was partly chosen because of its association with authority and statehood in fact, the eagle had been used as a symbol of governmental power since Roman times.
The USA’s first official use of the bald eagle was on the one-cent coin issued in Massachusetts in 1776.
Not only is the eagle a national symbol, but a religious symbol too.
In Christian art, the eagle often represents the resurrection of Christ. It is the artistic symbol of the Gospel of St. John, perhaps because that text is lofty in it theological perspective, and it is one of the four animal symbols seen by the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1:10.
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we read, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
It’s not just modern religions – the eagle prominently appears in many ancient religions. It was sacred to the Greek god Zeus, to the Sumerians and to the Egyptians.
If you aren’t convinced that the bald eagle is extremely important to Americans, I’ll leave you with this. At least two acts of Congress make it a potential crime to possess even a single unauthorized feather. Bald eagles are a special part of our lives here in America. Are there other avian species that are special to Americans? Tune in next week to find out.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.
Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.
Next Episode
Avian Beauty Podcast #17
Why should birds matter to you or me? Simple - birds can save us - but only if we can save them first.
Beyond culture, color and the enrichment that they offer all of us, birds offer practical help. My goal this week is to get you thinking about all of this and why birds matter.
Birds offer something for every constituency. They offer ecosystem services. Because they are an “umbrella” species, their protection ensures good habitat for many others.
Birds disperse seeds, helping to revegetate habitats and allow the survival of many species. They even protect drinking water by preventing erosion.
Do you like flowers? Thank the birds. Hummingbirds pollinate individual flowers, flowering shrubs and blooming trees. Just think if YOU had to do all that work.
They also help slow the spread of disease by eating carrion. Those vultures may be ugly, but they are saving lives.
Birds consume 98% of the most harmful pests, giving farmers a chance to grow the crops we all depend on.
They also directly stimulate the economy. According to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, birding created more than one million new jobs. There are at least 45 million birders in the USA, contributing $80 billion to the US annually.
Birds have important cultural relationships with humans. In addition to occasionally being someone's pet, birds have a role in folklore and in certain religions. Commanders used birds during time of war to communicate with troops. Birds are used to find food. Birds inspire art and design. Their feathers are used to produce more than 100 products.
Beyond all these practical matters, birds bring us song and beauty which both nourish our souls.
They face lots of challenges and more than 1,200 species face extinction over the next century which is alarming. Because as birds go - so do we.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.
Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.
If you’d like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott’s bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.
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