OLogy Cards > George Barrowclough

To Catch a Hooting Bird
Catching owls isn't easy. That's why ornithologist George Barrowclough has to be swift and sneaky. He studies northern spotted owls. They live in the Pacific Northwest. George studies the spotted owls' DNA. To get a sample, he must first catch an owl. To find an owl's location, George's team makes spotted owl calls. Even when sleeping, a spotted owl will answer the call of another owl. George's team waits for night, when the owl wakes up. They tempt the owl to come close with a meal of a fresh mouse. While the owl is eating, the scientists catch the bird. They take a blood sample, make notes, and then let it go. On a good night, two scientists might catch only two owls, but their research may help save this threatened species.