Oh, Barn The Superstition! It's Just A Harmless Owl

Oh, Barn The Superstition! It's Just A Harmless Owl

Daily News and Analysis, By Ashwin Aghor

June 21, 2008

Experts say though the bird is thriving in the city, it faces threat as it consumes rodents killed with poison

The next time you spot a pair of eyes glowing in the dark or hear a sinister hoot, don’t be alarmed. It’s just your friendly neighbourhood barn owl, which bird experts say is thriving in the city.

“If the number of distress calls received for bird rescue are any indication, there is no doubt that barn owl population in the city has increased. The majority of the calls are for the rescue of injured juvenile as well as adult barn owls,” said Adesh Shivkar, bird expert.

The large quantity of garbage generated in the city every day attracts rodents, which are the main prey of barn owls.

The bird got its name because of its adaptability to living close to human settlements. “Even in the United Kingdom, the bird is found in barns, abandoned castles,” Shivkar said. However, despite a consistent growth in its population, barn owl is facing severe threats.

Contradicting superstitions shroud all types of owls in general. Some people consider the bird a bad omen and kill it the moment it is spotted. “On the other hand, it is considered to be the vehicle of goddess Lakshmi. There is a need to educate people to protect the bird, by telling them that getting rid of the bird is akin to getting rid of wealth,” Shivkar says. “There is a general belief that barn owl claws bring prosperity to the person who possesses them. A considerable chunk of people in the city believe in superstitions,” said naturalist Sunjoy Monga.

Recently, in the Mantralaya when an owl was seen on a painting frame on sixth floor, news spread like wildfire and people started speculating about fate of the chief minister himself as his office is on the same floor.

Though domesticating the owl is illegal, many people keep the bird as a pet and even supply them to Bollywood and tantriks.

Another threat the bird is facing is rat poison. “Rodents being their main prey, many times owls eat rats killed with poison, which proves fatal for the bird, too,” said Anand Pendharkar, founder director of Sprouts, an institution working for the environment.

There is a great deal of misbelief about the hissing sound made by the barn owls. “It is the defence mechanism of most of the birds which nest in tree hollows or holes in walls. On sensing danger, the juvenile birds emulate the hissing sound of a snake,” Shivkar said.

The rescue calls for the bird are the maximum during winter, the breeding season of the owls. “In majority of cases, it lands in wrong hands due to superstitions,” said Sunish Subramanian of Plant and Animal Welfare Society, Mumbai.

a_ashwin@dnaindia.net