Karla Banding Owlet, photo by Chris Sargent

Birding Info: Mt. Diablo Audubon Society President Jerry Britten will report highlights of the 2020 Christmas Bird Counts.

Photo by Brian Plath

Main Program: Real Life Great Horned Owl Soap Opera with Karla Bloem

A real-life soap opera has played itself out over the past 15 years between over 25 captive and wild Great Horned Owls that have formed the basis of an in-depth vocal study on the species. You’ll experience owl dating, divorce, territorial defense, and more as you learn about their wide variety of vocalizations and what they mean. Ruby the Great Horned Owl will make a live appearance in this one-of-a-kind entertaining and educational program.

Karla Bloem is the founder and Executive Director of the International Owl Center. She acquired Alice the Great Horned Owl to use in educational programs in 1998 and began studying Great Horned Owl vocalizations in 2004. Karla is now the world authority on their vocalizations and has given presentations in The Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Portugal and South Africa. Alice’s popularity led Karla to create the International Festival of Owls, the first full-weekend, all-owl event in North America that has served as the inspiration for similar festivals in Italy, Nepal and India. Karla and Alice testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to successfully gain protection for Great Horned Owls in 2005. She has assisted several authors and filmmakers and has appeared on Animal Planet and the CBC’s “The Secret Life of Owls.”