Much the same as charities and other humanitarian organizations allow us to sponsor a child overseas, there are also programs that exist that allow avid birders and owl enthusiasts to adopt their very own owl. With the holiday season fast approaching, this might very well be the perfect gift for the bird lover on your Christmas list.
One of the leading reasons for owl adoption programs is to aid in facilitating funding for rescue facilities, captive breeding programs, and conservation groups. Funds generated from adoption campaigns go to purchase and monitor owl nesting boxes, rehabilitate injured birds, fund research, promote banding programs and so much more.
Unlike the name suggests, these programs do not allow people to physically bring these birds home. They act much more like sponsorship programs, where you receive updates not only from the owl you end up adopting, but will also be kept up to speed on the developments of the program as a whole and how your adoption dollars are going to help owls and birding in general.
Where to Adopt an Owl
There are a variety of owl adoption programs around the world, each with its own costs and membership options. If you are considering adoption, be sure to do your research and choose the program that really speaks to you on a personal level. Here are a few of the larger organizations that offer such programs:
- National Wildlife Federation
- World Wildlife Fund
- Raptor Education Group
- World Owl Trust
- The Owls Trust
- Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre
- Defenders of Wildlife
- World Animal Foundation
- Hawk and Owl Trust
- The Barn Owl Trust
If owls are not the only bird of interest, there are also a variety of other similar organizations that allow you to adopt wild birds for similar research, rehabilitation and educational purposes.