
Despite his 10-ounce weight, The American Bald Eagle Foundation‘s newest resident raptor stands to make a sizeable impact in the ornithology community.
Cirrus, a rehabilitated northern hawk owl, is a sub-arctic bird that is rare in captivity, said the foundation’s raptor program manager, Sidney Campbell.
“In general, they’re not a super common species to see, and they’re just so unique” Campbell said. “Lots of bird trainer friends from around the country are jealous that we have one and I can’t blame them.”
The National Park service website calls the breed “one of the least studied birds in North America” –because of low densities and a tendency to nest in remote places–but Campbell hopes to change that.
Campbell and her fellow trainers will present a research study on Cirrus in February 2021 at the International Associate of Avian Trainers and Educators annual conference. Currently, Campbell said the only other facility she knows of with the same species is the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, whose staff confirmed they have had a female northern hawk owl for about a month.
Part of the reason the species is rare in captivity is because best practice in ornithology is to work exclusively with owls reared in captivity, called “non-imprint,” because owls raised in the wild tend not to transition well, Campbell said.
“We were super skeptical because we didn’t think he was going to be a good fit, but one of the constantly heard phrases in this industry is that ‘every bird is a study of one,'” she said. That has been especially true for Cirrus.
Cirrus, who was originally nicknamed ‘Squeakers’ by ABEF staff for his high-pitched squawk, was acquired by the foundation two months ago. He came to Haines from the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage, where he lived for two years.
Originally, he was at the facility to be treated for a dislocated collarbone, but was later found on the ground and had to be treated for a fracture, said staff from the Bird Treatment and Learning Center. “While the fracture healed correctly and he can fly, he gets fatigued. He doesn’t have a great chance of surviving in the wild.”
After a month-long assessment to ensure Cirrus was capable of navigating his space and psychologically suited to interact with people, he’s become a permanent fixture at the bald eagle foundation.
He’s also the foundation’s only native owl.
“This is a unique opportunity for Haines residents to see a species that’s really hard to see in the wild,” Campbell said.
Pam Randles, a local birder in the Chilkat Valley, said she’s only seen two northern hawk owls in the last 20 years in Haines. “I saw one in a tree and one on a telephone pole,” she said. “They look like an owl with that round face and big eyes, but then they have long tails like hawks.”
Campbell and program coordinator Josh Sanko describe Cirrus as friendly, very motivated to train, and adorable.
The small bird was named for his grey-white coloring that mimics a cloud. He has small yellow eyes, short round wings and a long, hawk-like tail. He’s diurnal, meaning he is awake during the day and sleeps at night.
As an ambassador, Cirrus may eventually be added to the foundation’s free flight team, meaning he would fly out of his enclosed structure.