Native or not Native

[BritainsTarzan]

Recently i had to do some studies on the European Eagle Owl and the debate on weather it is a native species or not, and weather the breeding pairs that are established should be dealt with or left.
I just wanted to see what you guys thought on the subject?

[ChrisJB]

The ones in Lancs are too cool to 'deal with'. So I'd leave them.

Regards, Chris

[Ukwildlifeo]

There about the only bird of prey in the UK that can take cats, as opposed the other way round lol. I believe the term is karmic retrebution lol

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by BritainsTarzan

Recently i had to do some studies on the European Eagle Owl and the debate on weather it is a native species or not, and weather the breeding pairs that are established should be dealt with or left.
I just wanted to see what you guys thought on the subject?

Strictly speaking it is not on the official BOU list so therefore it is not an accepted wild British species. All of those currently in our countryside are, most probably, deliberate releases or escapes. There have been a very few records of birds having been seen 'coming in off the sea' but these sightings have not been accepted as it is presumed that they cannot make the crossing over the North Sea due to their weight and their not being a greatly migratory bird in the traditional sense of the term.

As to whether they should be left or not. Well, as long as they don't start wreaking havoc on the Buzzard population like the feral population in Holland have done, then I don't really see too great a problem with them. Sheep farmers and Gamekeepers might take a different view though.

I don't advocate a wholesale release of more captive bred birds into the wild though.

cheers

Adam

[BritainsTarzan]

I read some article on how they may have been a native species donkeys years ago but they were possibly hunted to extinction in the UK due to the eire noise they make because in those days everyone believed in witches etc, and the fact that they were seen eating lambs on the hill sides. But they may not off actually killed the lambs themselves as they eat carion.... And people are worrying now as they are able to take cats and small dogs.
I think they have the right to be here personally and they are an absolutely jaw dropping and beautiful birds, but on the other hand if they do start to cause problems with other native species like the buzzard as they have done elsewhere i think i would change my mind...

[heskin]

how many pairs are there in Britain roughly?- anyone know

[demicav]

There are some very knowledgeable people who believe that at one time they were in fact native in this country but were probably hunted to extinction. The ones that are here today are probably escapes or deliberately released birds, as said earlier but one might argue that if they were once native then they have every right to be here, opinion is very divided about this. Personally for me I love them, we have quite a few here in Lancashire, one not too far from me. It was a dream come true a while back when I got to hold a very large captive one, I was shocked at how heavy they really are. Unless they started to have a really bad impact on our native wildlife I would say leave them be.

[Paul mabbott]

Quite likely that they were once native (I've heard, almost certainly) and, yes, no need to "sort them out". If people don't want their cats eaten they can keep them indoors - and save the lives of many other native animals! With regard to the balance of species, we won't know until we have observed what happens.

Originally Posted by BritainsTarzan

I read some article on how they may have been a native species donkeys years ago but they were possibly hunted to extinction in the UK due to the eire noise they make because in those days everyone believed in witches etc, and the fact that they were seen eating lambs on the hill sides. But they may not off actually killed the lambs themselves as they eat carion.... And people are worrying now as they are able to take cats and small dogs.
I think they have the right to be here personally and they are an absolutely jaw dropping and beautiful birds, but on the other hand if they do start to cause problems with other native species like the buzzard as they have done elsewhere i think i would change my mind...

[BritainsTarzan]

On the north york moors there are a breeding pair that have reared 23 offspring, i cant remember and not sure of other numbers.

[Alan G]

I'd guess its only a matter of time before they're on the BOU list as there's various self-supporting populations in the UK now.