[EBB Sightings] Skittish Burrowing owls

Hello,
I think we all recognize that Brian was not seriously proposing that anyone 
try to pick up the Cesar Chavez Burrowing owls or otherwise harass the 
birds.  His question, however, remains an interesting one, i.e., why do some 
individuals of the very same species become tolerant of human presence 
whereas others do not.

In my experience, Burrowing owls frequently become fairly blase about the 
presence of photographers at close approach distances, i.e., twenty feet or 
even less.  As long as no one harms the birds, this lack of skittishness is 
a boon to their survival, as they don't have to waste energy flying away 
constantly from perceived dangers that don't really exist.

However, one could just as easily argue that this tameness may not 
beneficial to the species, since some particular human individual might just 
come along who is not worthy of this trust.  It just takes one.  It has 
occurred to me more than once that the bird that hangs out along the 
northeastern shore of Chavez Park is perhaps too trusting for its own good.