An Owl With Two Mums and One Dad is Becoming an Internet Sensation, Watch Live Video of the Family
On realising the importance of this behaviour, the office even set up a webcam to broadcast live footage of these owls.
In the rising concrete jungle of skyscrapers, it is a delight to spot some nature's rarities. A family of great horned owls has served the same joy to an office building in Reno, Nevada. The owl's nest is gaining more popularity after the observing its family. The owls were spotted while they tried to protect the baby from the other ravens. The couple became famous in the building but what was surprising was seeing another female owl turning up in the nest. The incident is recorded live to observe the owls.
"I heard this racket outside my window," recalled Jim Thomas, a hydrologist at the Desert Research Institute. The owl's nest was soon talked about by the office people. But when the second female showed up, it caught more fascination. It was observed that both the female owls began to lay eggs along the rocky window ledge. The entire office was charmed with this family as the male owl would bring back treats for both the females!
Since great horned owls are known to be monogamous, this behaviour shocked the bird observers. Christian Artuso, an ornithologist with Bird Studies Canada, told National Geographic that this is the first time polygyny - which is when one male mates with more than one female - has ever been observed in the species. The species is more of solitary creatures which only confused them more. These owls even do not flock together and have no nesting near each other. So this entire polygamic behaviour comes as a shock. Although, other owl species like barn owls and Eurasian eagle owls have shown such behaviour.
Take a look at the live video of this owl nest in Nevada:
The behaviour is noted as a very odd behaviour by ornithologist David Catalano from Nevada Department of Wildlife. On realising the importance of this behaviour, the office even set up a webcam to broadcast live footage of these owls. And since then they have grabbed many eyeballs on the internet.
The story of this owl family turned more interesting because when the second owl's eggs did not hatch, and the first female's did, the second one was seen caring for the owlets. She offered them food and shelter although they were not her biological children. Catalano noted this as a case of misdirected parenting. Now there is an expressed possibility that the two females could be related (like sisters). Otherwise even the birds would have had conflicts just like a human tendency, noted the ornithologist. But the two females have co-parented the owlet well. All of these are just possibilities being expressed, but the owl family is sure proving to be entertainment to the office.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 03, 2018 12:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).