A dead Snowy Owl

[Justme]

impossible to tell from a web size image. probably you can have a
better idea since you see the full size.

is not its foot entangled?

From these close-up shots it looks like the foot is not tangled. Looks like it is hanging on from the top.

Looking from the bottom. I see part of its leg...or is that just the feathered part of the lower leg?
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313919

I think this image clearly shows the leg/talons are on top of the fixture.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313920

Another angle....look at that sharp talon sticking up.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313921

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[Justme]

its sad to see something like that die from something we built

It is sad particularly for an owl like a Snowy that had to make the long trip here only because it had a hard time finding enough to eat.

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[AMAllan]

Yes, I suppose a bird could die while clinging to a perch and remain attached, just as they do when sleeping. Your close-ups posted under Daniella's comments are not conclusive.
Just a comment on the sadness of a birds death:

Considering the huge number of birds we see every day, and knowing that everything dies eventually, it's surprising we're not knee deep in dead birds by now! It's precisely because the sight of a dead bird is so rare that it shocks and surprises us.

--
Alastair
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[Daniella68313]

impossible to tell from a web size image. probably you can have a
better idea since you see the full size.

is not its foot entangled?

From these close-up shots it looks like the foot is not tangled.
Looks like it is hanging on from the top.

no he's definitly stuck there. otherwise he would have dropped down. something his holding him and it'S probably on top. what you see is his leg. I don't see his foot. I think it's stuck up there.

Looking from the bottom. I see part of its leg...or is that just
the feathered part of the lower leg?
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313919

I think this image clearly shows the leg/talons are on top of the
fixture.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313920

yep..he's stuck. the way he is positioned, if he was not stuck the body would drop on the ground.

Another angle....look at that sharp talon sticking up.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313921

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I know you mean well but please do not embed my images into the
forum. Thanks for respecting that.
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/northern_gannet_and_right_whale
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/puffins

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[kennlwt]

maybe it'sbeen electrocuted and causes muscle contraction on the feet. For any palms or claw, the inner muscle are much stronger than the back of the hand.

So, the muscle contraction causes the owl's claw to hold the wire. Normally, the muscle will release after some time. Butin this case, the low temperature of the environment frezzes the blood and prevent the muscle from releasing the wire...

that's my guess...
--
ImageHorizon

 

[Justme]

Yes, I suppose a bird could die while clinging to a perch and
remain attached, just as they do when sleeping. Your close-ups
posted under Daniella's comments are not conclusive.

No, didn't mean for it be conclusive. I thought it was interesting that the leg appears to be above the fixture..not sure what is on top of those things anyway.

Just a comment on the sadness of a birds death:
Considering the huge number of birds we see every day, and knowing
that everything dies eventually, it's surprising we're not knee
deep in dead birds by now! It's precisely because the sight of a
dead bird is so rare that it shocks and surprises us.

For every dead bird there are many things waiting to feed on it including other birds, animals, bugs and micro organisms. The left-over feathers make for good insulation and soft building material for nests. In the spring I see little sparrows hopping about picking up little bits of feathers for their nests. Interesting how almost everything is naturally recycledin the wild.

--
Alastair
http://www.pbase.com/alastair

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I know you mean well but please do not embed my images into the forum. Thanks for respecting that.
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[Questaar]

I have a parrot, at the normal rest position his foot is all curled up. My vet explained it this way. When they sleep, their foot relaxes into its curled state, around the branch it is sitting on, that way it does not fall off while sleeping. Perhaps this could be true for this owl as well, when it died the foot relaxed(contracted) around the wire. Just a thought.

Questaar

 

[Daniella68313]

its sad to see something like that die from something we built

you should see how many hundreds of bird of prey the big windmill are kiling each year..this and powerlines are a real threat.

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[Daniella68313]

An estimated 22,000 have died due to run-ins with the structures' blades, including golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and other raptors."

http://www.toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/comments.pl/26/401

 

[Tarpon6]

Interesting article but this quote is dumb- "When you turn on your lights you kill something, no matter what the source of electricity," maintains Paul Kerlinger, a New Jersey biologist who works as an industry consultant.

Jeez now we're supposed to feel guilty about turning on a light? That kind of fanaticism is silly and detracts from those with genuine environmental concerns.
--
Dan

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[AMAllan]

...and it casts serious doubt on the entire article.

--
Alastair
http://www.pbase.com/alastair

 

[walter23]

--

 

[walter23]

Without the context, you don't really know how he meant that to be taken. He could have been defending windmills, saying that there is no energy source that doesn't have environmental impact.

...and it casts serious doubt on the entire article.

--
Alastair
http://www.pbase.com/alastair

--

 

[walter23]

Here, I mean.

http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/image/55313920

Looks wedged in there to me. No curled claws gripping the wire, just a stuck foot.

 

[Daniella68313]

Interesting article but this quote is dumb- "When you turn on your
lights you kill something, no matter what the source of
electricity," maintains Paul Kerlinger, a New Jersey biologist who
works as an industry consultant.

Jeez now we're supposed to feel guilty about turning on a light?
That kind of fanaticism is silly and detracts from those with
genuine environmental concerns.

I agree, it was a dumb and dumber thing to say but I think what he meant is that we kill more animals with regular electricity production than with windmill. maybe I understood it wrong but I thought of it the other way around.

--
Dan

Canon EOS Rebel XT 350D Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L USM II Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Canon EF 28-105mm 3.5-4.5 USM II
Canon EF 50mm 1.8 Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro DG
Canon 420 EX
http://www.pbase.com/drimar

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[Daniella68313]

I understood that he meant that windmills are no more threat to the animals than the current electricity production that already exist.

sort of acounamatata attitude? I am pretty sure he is for the windmills not against but I could be wrong. hard to say without context.

...and it casts serious doubt on the entire article.

--
Alastair
http://www.pbase.com/alastair

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[Daniella68313]

and they forget to mention that maybe building glass kill a lot of bird and card collision etc.. but the windmills target mostly a certain type of birds, mostly raptors and those are far more rare than other type of smaller birds generaly.

I wonder how many other sources kill birds of prey but here in California many more fall to the windmills then car crash I think. the golden eagles especialy are mostly flying and rarely come as low to get hit by cars and they fly too slow to hit building windows.

I don't think that painting the blades in bright colors will help much since the blade is coming at a great speed from the top and the birds usualy have their attention looking down the ground.

My guess is that they get hit from the top and it is not them who collide with the blade but the blade that snap on them out of nowhere.

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[Rowbear]

This wire might be live, but the insulator and the wood post prevent any form of continuity with earth.

Realy sad
--
Robert Gravel
http://www.pbase.com/rgravel

 

[Daniella68313]

This wire might be live, but the insulator and the wood post
prevent any form of continuity with earth.

usualy they have to touch at least 2 wires in order to get electrocuted no? so they are kind of grounded. if they touch only one wire they should not have any problem. at least what I was told.

Realy sad
--
Robert Gravel
http://www.pbase.com/rgravel

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[DAVCON]

Im going with the "stuck" theory. Its seems reasonable that as the owl came in to perch, he was too fast and lodged his foot under the line and insulator. I think he would be landing into the picture, away from us to the left. Its likely it was wedged and possibly caught as well on the crimping wire close in to the insulator, these may also have sharp ends and could have gorged the foot. Its also probable that his leg is twisted as he fell backwards from exhaustion, hunger and cold.
Not a pretty description.