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Lady Gray'l Award -
Georgie the Barn Owl
Georgie the Barn Owl
Ambassador for the World Owl Trust’s
owl conservation efforts, Georgie the Barn Owl was an undoubted star. He flew
in the Trust’s “Meet The Birds” programs on the Muncaster Castle lawn in England
for over a million people between 1990 and his passing in 2003 at age 13.
After capturing the audience’s
attention with his beauty and quirky character, the portal was opened to educate
them about the precipitous decline of his species in the UK and the Trust’s
efforts to help endangered owls in the UK and around the globe. He also
appeared at hundreds of lectures and television appearances with his human,
Trust founder and 2007 Champion of Owls award winner Tony Warburton.
Georgie’s fame and beauty culminated
in his face adorning Britain’s first postage stamp of the new Millennium.
Everyone fell under the spell of his presence and when in London for the
presentation of an award to Muncaster Castle, Georgie stole the show even in the
company of some of the Harry Potter cast!
The close relationship between
Georgie and Tony allowed the study of the aging process, housing, nest box and
dietary preferences, reaction to various drugs, and many other aspects of Barn
Owl biology which have been very helpful in the Trust’s rehabilitation work.
“Georgie really was a very special
bird and everyone loved him, especially me,” said Tony Warburton in Georgie’s
obituary. “It’s as if someone has turned out a bright light, and things will
never be quite the same without him. One thing is for certain, he’ll never be
forgotten.” Especially now, since his work will be remembered in the World Owl
Hall of Fame, as he so well deserves.
Champion of Owls Award - Dr. James R. Duncan
Jim Duncan with wife Patsy, daughter Brooke, son Connor,
and his Long-eared Owl Nemo
By far the youngest Champion of
Owls Award winner to date is Dr. James R. Duncan of Winnipeg, Canada. Even
though his hair has yet to turn white, he has still made an impressive mark on
the world of owls.
Jim is an authority on Great Gray Owls, having studied them since 1984, and he
has also been involved in studies on 11 other species of owls. He has served on
the graduate committees of seven students studying owls and helped organize
three international owl conferences. How’s that for a start to his resume!
He also knows how to inspire and involve others in owl research. Together
with his wife Patsy, he developed and
coordinates the Manitoba nocturnal owl surveys which have involved over 600
volunteers since 1991. “Other people pick up on his spirit…he’s an inspiration,”
says Dr. Robert W. Nero, Retired Senior Ecologist for Manitoba Conservation.
Education is also a familiar realm for Jim. Besides presenting live owl programs
to school children, he authored the book “Owls of the World: Their Lives,
Behavior and Survival”. Several film crews and various authors of owl books and
CDs have Jim to thank for lending his expertise to their work.
As the manager of Manitoba Conservation’s Biodiversity Conservation Section, Jim
has had a wide impact on the conservation of owls and their habitat across
Canada. He’s helped to create management and recovery programs for seven at-risk
owl species. This compassionate man also helps individual owls, not as a formal
rehabilitator, but in transporting owls to and from rehabilitators, replacing
young owls in nests, and more.
And since he’s not even close to retirement, the owls of the world can only
expect more good to come from this true champion of owls.
Special Achievement Award - Dr. Gary E. Duke
Gary Duke with a Great Horned Owl
Nearly everyone is familiar with owl pellets, but Gary Duke is
the man we have to thank for understanding how it all works. His pioneering
research on owl digestion with Great Horned Owls still stands as the classic and
most comprehensive work in the field.
Serving as the Director of the Avian Research Center of the University of
Minnesota, he collaborated with researchers across the USA and internationally,
resulting in a wide array of publications and presentations. He authored more
than 40 publications on raptors, most being about owls.
“Owls were his passion, his favorite bird,” says his widow, Maryann Duke. “He
especially admired the Great Horned Owl because he thought they were so brave
and tough.”
Gary is perhaps most well-known for co-founding the The Raptor Center in St.
Paul in 1974 and serving as Co-Director until 1986. The Raptor Center
specializes in the medical care, rehabilitation, and conservation of eagles,
hawks, owls, and falcons, currently treating about 800 birds a year. It has
grown into an internationally known program, providing training in raptor
medicine and surgery for veterinarians around the world and identifying emerging
issues related to raptor health and populations. The Raptor Center’s education
program has grown to reach 240,000 people annually, serving to strengthen the
bond between humans and birds.
Gary passed away in 2006 at age 68. He handled his battle with Alzheimer’s “with
typical grace and humor and was a gentleman to the end. Our daughters and I are
very proud of him,” says Maryann. He resided in Shoreview, Minnesota.
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