Tip of the Iceberg -- Snowy Owls

Canada goose -- what lies beneath and aside the iceberg.

No one is quite sure of the reason why more Snowy Owls have been making their way to the North East in recent weeks.

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Some speculate that the impacts of climate change and habitat loss are affecting the birds' normal food supply (lemmings) in the Arctic, thereby compelling more of them to fly south in winter in search of food.

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But, whatever the precise reason for more Snowy Owls in our region,  birders have been excited to spot the beautiful and rare birds in various locations in New York and New Jersey. There have been numerous sightings, postings, photos and articles about them.  

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/NYBirders/

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But, entities neither excited nor enthused about the emergence of Snowy Owls were JFK airport, the DEC and the Port Authority.

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Orders to "shoot to kill" three Snowy Owls this past weekend were carried out.

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Normally, bird killings around airports go unreported, but in this case, someone informed The Daily News which then ran front page coverage of the story.

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Other media picked up, as did the social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  The birding and Animal Rights communities immediately set up Change.org petitions which in less than 24 hours garnered more than 7,000 signatures.

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In the face of so much media and public outrage, The Port Authority and DEC had little choice but to immediately rescind the decision to kill the owls in favor of trap and relocation.

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The story was widely reported, including on yesterday's Today Show:

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http://www.today.com/video/today/53788217#53788217

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But, of course the killing of the Snowy Owls was the mere tip of the iceberg (or, in this case, the straw that broke the shooter's back).

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The only media person to fully report all the facts was Jane Velez-Mitchell in her interview with Edita Birnkrant of Friends of Animals last night.

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http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/12/10/protecting-our-animals

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We, who have been fighting for the protection of geese and other birds -- many thousands of whom have been ruthlessly shot, gassed or slaughtered for the past several years in the name of so-called, "airline safety"  -- were not at all surprised with the latest carnage.

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Nor were we surprised with most of the media's continued showing or mention of "The Miracle on the Hudson" incident (the geese will never be allowed to live that one down) or repeatedly misstating that it is the "birds who collide with planes."  (It is actually the planes that fly into the birds.)

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We should of course be grateful that the media reported this story at all. And we should be grateful that Snowy Owls were featured in the Harry Potter movies, thereby upping their general appeal and value to a mass audience.

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But, the fact that Canada geese (and other birds) are still portrayed as the flying  "menaces" that brought Caption Sully's plane down and continue to "collide" with other planes in Kamikaze, suicidal ventures, spells an overall, grim outlook that anything for them will change.

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Yes, let's be happy for the fact that quick media exposure and public outrage ultimately changed the fate for Snowy Owls venturing near airports in NY.

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But, dare any of us to look beyond the mere tip of the iceberg to what lies beneath?

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The value of a Canada goose, swan, cormorant, starling or red-winged blackbird is no less than that of a Snowy Owl.

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Our value, appreciation and willingness to stand up for wildlife should not be dependent upon beauty contests or popular movies. -- PCA

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