Ologies with Alie Ward

Episode: Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 1 with R.J. Gutiérrez
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Alie Ward
Guest: Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutierrez, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota

Overview

In this much-anticipated episode, Alie Ward dives headfirst into the ology of owls—strigiformology—with legendary researcher Dr. R.J. (“Rocky”) Gutierrez. Known for his decades of owl research, especially on the spotted owl, Rocky shares not only deep scientific insights but also endearing personal stories, fieldwork tales, and fascinating owl anatomy facts. The episode explores what makes owls unique, their complex adaptations, conservation drama, their mysterious behavior, and why these birds have captured both his heart and scientific curiosity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutierrez (05:32)

Origin of “Rocky”: Given by his mother, a family legend.
His Famous Owl Sweaters: Each year, his wife KT knits him an owl-themed sweater, inspired by different species he’s worked with.
Quote:
"She designs the whole thing on a piece of graph paper and then spends a good part of the year knitting it... They're actually works of art." (06:44, Rocky)

2. Rocky’s Origin Story: Falling for Owls (07:22)

A formative experience—being left alone as a child at the Rio Grande "box" canyon, seeing a pair of great horned owls, and the realization of his strong night vision. This later connected with his army experience.
Quote:
"All of a sudden... I saw a great horned owl... I went, wow... Years later, I realized I had a very high nighttime visual acuity… that’s when I made this big connection... and what made me really gravitate toward owls." (08:04, Rocky)

3. The Birth of Spotted Owl Research and Its Conservation Drama (11:09)

In the late 1970s, a pivotal study linked spotted owl populations to old-growth forests, igniting fierce conservation battles that continue.
Rocky mentored many Vietnam veterans as grad students.
Quote:
"At the time I said… this spotted owl could be a really big deal. This is, we're talking 1979. Oh my god, when it wasn't a big deal." (11:57, Rocky)
Anti-owl backlash from loggers: “I like spotted owls fried” - a bumper sticker.
Rocky is humble, always crediting his students and colleagues.

4. Why Owls? The Allure & Challenges (15:14)

Rocky started his doctoral work on elusive mountain quail, then moved to owls for the challenge.
Owls’ Challenge: Nocturnal, hard to find—he’s attracted by the difficulty.
Quote:
"You don't say you can't do something to me. That's just like waving a red flag in front of a bull." (15:55, Rocky)

5. What Makes an Owl an Owl? Anatomy & Illusions (18:09)

Skull & Face (18:41)

Their heads appear round, but the skull is actually triangular; the “roundness” is created by feathers.
Eyes: Owls’ eyes are tubular, not spherical—held in place by a “scleral ring.”
Quote:
"Their eyes are so big, like a great horned owl is 5% of its body weight... In a human, it’s like 0.003%." (21:08, Rocky)

Vision (22:03)

Immense nighttime vision due to a higher proportion of rods, and a reflective tapetum lucidum.
Owls have about 70° binocular vision (humans: 180°), making them formidable predators.

Owl Head Rotation (23:40)

Their fixed eyes mean owls must turn their heads—up to 270 degrees!
They have 14 neck vertebrae (humans have 7) and wider foramina for arteries, so blood flow isn’t restricted.

Facial Disc & Hearing (25:33)

The facial disc is a feather arrangement, not structural—owls can adjust these discs to direct sound, similar to cupping hands around ears.
Ears and “Ears” (26:30):
- Ear tufts (“owl ears”) are not real ears, but likely visual signals for communication between pairs.
- Real ears: offset slits under feathers, crucial for pinpointing prey; they can detect time differences in sound as brief as 30 milliseconds.
- Demo: [27:51] Two beeps 30ms apart—a reminder of owls’ auditory precision.

Activity Patterns (28:27)

Not all owls are nocturnal; some, like burrowing owls and short-eared owls, are diurnal. Others are crepuscular (dawn/dusk).

6. Owl Flight: Masters of Stealth (29:43)

Most owls have nearly silent flight due to:
- Serrated feather edges (reduce turbulence)
- Velvety wing surfaces
- Large wings for gliding.
Fish-eating owls, like the Blackiston's fish owl, don’t require silent flight.
Quote:
"There's no premium on being silent because the fish can't hear you." (31:38, Rocky) "When you think about it, these things can go right past you and you will not hear them." (34:31, Rocky)

7. Hunting Behaviors: Perch & Pounce (34:47)

Most owls are perch-and-pounce predators, using their vision and hearing to locate prey before launching a silent attack.
Individual owls have prey “preferences” and hunting styles.
Fieldwork includes using live mice to observe and catch owls (sometimes by hand!).
Quote:
"The easiest thing to do is just catch them by hand." (37:20, Rocky) "You put the mouse down, they come for the mouse and just snatch them by the foot." (37:22, Rocky)

8. Owl Behavior & Social Structure

Allopreening & Pair Bonds (38:02)

Allopreening: Owl pairs often preen each other’s faces for bonding and feather maintenance.
Quote:
"So they'll get up there and they'll preen their face… and pretty soon they just relax… because you're simulating [allopreening]." (38:04, Rocky)

Mating for Life? (45:44)

Evidence suggests most owls maintain long-term pair bonds, but “divorce” is observed if nesting fails.
Burrowing owls often find new mates yearly.

Nesting Habits (47:05)

Owls don’t build their own nests; they use abandoned nests, tree crotches, witches brooms (abnormal tree growths), or depressions in broken-off trees. Some nest on cliffs.

Territoriality & Species Overlap (48:46)

Pairs defend territories through hooting.
Different owl species can coexist if their diets or sizes differ substantially; otherwise, larger owls might prey on smaller ones.

Attracting Owls (50:23)

Nest boxes can attract owls (size and placement depend on local species).
Be cautious: placing boxes that attract owls of different sizes could be dangerous for the little ones.

Parenting (52:01)

Strong division of labor: Females (larger) incubate and brood; males (smaller) supply food.
Females may risk their lives for the nest—one anecdote describes a female dying rather than abandoning her egg.
Quote:
"She was so tenacious... she didn't want to give up incubating that egg." (54:03, Rocky)

9. Owl Signs: Pellets & Roosts (56:27)

Pellets alone don’t indicate a nest—they also mark roosts.
Pellets are formed because of a higher stomach pH; owls can’t fully digest bones/hair, so they regurgitate these as pellets.
More than 300 bird species cast pellets, but owls form the largest, most recognizable ones.
Quote:
"I guess you could call it barfology, where they're barfing these pellets up." (57:40, Rocky)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On owl fieldwork:
“You put the mouse down, they come for the mouse and just snatch them by the foot.” (37:22, Rocky)
On owl vision:
“Their eyes are so big, like a great horned owl is 5% of its body weight… In a human… 0.003%.” (21:08, Rocky)
On silent flight:
"When you think about it, these things can go right past you and you will not hear them." (34:31, Rocky)
On owl love:
"So they'll get up there and they'll preen their face… and pretty soon they just relax... because you're simulating [allopreening]." (38:04, Rocky)
On being recognized despite his humility:
"I'm not really a legend in that respect because there's many other people that worked on spotted owls that probably know a lot more about spotted owls than I do." (16:57, Rocky)
On owl parenting:
“She was so tenacious… she didn't want to give up incubating that egg.” (54:03, Rocky)

Important Timestamps

05:32 — Rocky introduces himself and explains the origin of his nickname.
07:22 — Rocky’s first formative owl encounter.
11:09 — The beginning of spotted owl research and conservation drama.
15:33 — Rocky’s academic background and what drew him to challenging bird species.
18:09 — The anatomical “illusion” of the owl's appearance and unique features.
23:40 — How owls rotate their heads up to 270 degrees.
26:30 — The (real and fake) ears of owls and their hearing adaptations.
28:27 — Nocturnal, crepuscular, and diurnal owl species explained.
29:43 — The adaptations for near-silent owl flight.
34:47 — How owls hunt: perch-and-pounce and fieldwork methods.
38:02 — Allopreening behavior and pair bonding.
45:44 — Do owls mate for life?
47:05 — Owl nesting habits and structures.
48:46 — Territoriality and overlap between owl species.
50:23 — Advice on providing owl boxes for your yard.
52:01 — Division of parenting roles between male and female owls.
54:03 — Stories of devoted (sometimes to a tragic degree) owl mothers.
56:27 — Owl pellets, what they are, what they mean, and how they’re formed.
57:40 — Barfology—coining the study of owl pellets.

Upcoming in Part 2

The episode concludes with a tease for next week, promising answers to more listener questions about:

Owl folklore and omens
The “Parliament” of owls
Barred vs. barn owls
Whether to hoot back
Threatened species
Famous murder cases involving owls
And more in-depth owl science!

Resources & References

Rocky’s recommended cause: International Owl Center, Houston, MN
Mentioned book: Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl by Jonathan C. Slaght
Key papers: “Features of Owl Wings that Promote Silent Flight” (2017)
Previous Ologies episodes: “Fire Ecology” (Dr. Gavin Jones), “Chickens” (two-parter), and “Lutronology" (otters)

Tone

The episode is warm, witty, and marvelously nerdy—Alie’s “curious layperson” energy meets Rocky’s gentle, humble professorial charm. There’s ample science, relatable personal stories, and honest acknowledgment of conservation controversies.

Enjoyed by both seasoned birders and science newbies, this part one is the owl episode you never knew you needed.

Ologies with Alie Ward

Episode: Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 1 with R.J. Gutiérrez
Date: November 5, 2025
Host: Alie Ward
Guest: Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutierrez, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutierrez (05:32)

Origin of “Rocky”: Given by his mother, a family legend.
His Famous Owl Sweaters: Each year, his wife KT knits him an owl-themed sweater, inspired by different species he’s worked with.
Quote:
"She designs the whole thing on a piece of graph paper and then spends a good part of the year knitting it... They're actually works of art." (06:44, Rocky)

2. Rocky’s Origin Story: Falling for Owls (07:22)

A formative experience—being left alone as a child at the Rio Grande "box" canyon, seeing a pair of great horned owls, and the realization of his strong night vision. This later connected with his army experience.
Quote:
"All of a sudden... I saw a great horned owl... I went, wow... Years later, I realized I had a very high nighttime visual acuity… that’s when I made this big connection... and what made me really gravitate toward owls." (08:04, Rocky)

3. The Birth of Spotted Owl Research and Its Conservation Drama (11:09)

In the late 1970s, a pivotal study linked spotted owl populations to old-growth forests, igniting fierce conservation battles that continue.
Rocky mentored many Vietnam veterans as grad students.
Quote:
"At the time I said… this spotted owl could be a really big deal. This is, we're talking 1979. Oh my god, when it wasn't a big deal." (11:57, Rocky)
Anti-owl backlash from loggers: “I like spotted owls fried” - a bumper sticker.
Rocky is humble, always crediting his students and colleagues.

4. Why Owls? The Allure & Challenges (15:14)

Rocky started his doctoral work on elusive mountain quail, then moved to owls for the challenge.
Owls’ Challenge: Nocturnal, hard to find—he’s attracted by the difficulty.
Quote:
"You don't say you can't do something to me. That's just like waving a red flag in front of a bull." (15:55, Rocky)

5. What Makes an Owl an Owl? Anatomy & Illusions (18:09)

Skull & Face (18:41)

Their heads appear round, but the skull is actually triangular; the “roundness” is created by feathers.
Eyes: Owls’ eyes are tubular, not spherical—held in place by a “scleral ring.”
Quote:
"Their eyes are so big, like a great horned owl is 5% of its body weight... In a human, it’s like 0.003%." (21:08, Rocky)

Vision (22:03)

Immense nighttime vision due to a higher proportion of rods, and a reflective tapetum lucidum.
Owls have about 70° binocular vision (humans: 180°), making them formidable predators.

Owl Head Rotation (23:40)

Their fixed eyes mean owls must turn their heads—up to 270 degrees!
They have 14 neck vertebrae (humans have 7) and wider foramina for arteries, so blood flow isn’t restricted.

Facial Disc & Hearing (25:33)

The facial disc is a feather arrangement, not structural—owls can adjust these discs to direct sound, similar to cupping hands around ears.
Ears and “Ears” (26:30):
- Ear tufts (“owl ears”) are not real ears, but likely visual signals for communication between pairs.
- Real ears: offset slits under feathers, crucial for pinpointing prey; they can detect time differences in sound as brief as 30 milliseconds.
- Demo: [27:51] Two beeps 30ms apart—a reminder of owls’ auditory precision.

Activity Patterns (28:27)

Not all owls are nocturnal; some, like burrowing owls and short-eared owls, are diurnal. Others are crepuscular (dawn/dusk).

6. Owl Flight: Masters of Stealth (29:43)

Most owls have nearly silent flight due to:
- Serrated feather edges (reduce turbulence)
- Velvety wing surfaces
- Large wings for gliding.
Fish-eating owls, like the Blackiston's fish owl, don’t require silent flight.
Quote:
"There's no premium on being silent because the fish can't hear you." (31:38, Rocky) "When you think about it, these things can go right past you and you will not hear them." (34:31, Rocky)

7. Hunting Behaviors: Perch & Pounce (34:47)

Most owls are perch-and-pounce predators, using their vision and hearing to locate prey before launching a silent attack.
Individual owls have prey “preferences” and hunting styles.
Fieldwork includes using live mice to observe and catch owls (sometimes by hand!).
Quote:
"The easiest thing to do is just catch them by hand." (37:20, Rocky) "You put the mouse down, they come for the mouse and just snatch them by the foot." (37:22, Rocky)

8. Owl Behavior & Social Structure

Allopreening & Pair Bonds (38:02)

Allopreening: Owl pairs often preen each other’s faces for bonding and feather maintenance.
Quote:
"So they'll get up there and they'll preen their face… and pretty soon they just relax… because you're simulating [allopreening]." (38:04, Rocky)

Mating for Life? (45:44)

Evidence suggests most owls maintain long-term pair bonds, but “divorce” is observed if nesting fails.
Burrowing owls often find new mates yearly.

Nesting Habits (47:05)

Owls don’t build their own nests; they use abandoned nests, tree crotches, witches brooms (abnormal tree growths), or depressions in broken-off trees. Some nest on cliffs.

Territoriality & Species Overlap (48:46)

Pairs defend territories through hooting.
Different owl species can coexist if their diets or sizes differ substantially; otherwise, larger owls might prey on smaller ones.

Attracting Owls (50:23)

Nest boxes can attract owls (size and placement depend on local species).
Be cautious: placing boxes that attract owls of different sizes could be dangerous for the little ones.

Parenting (52:01)

Strong division of labor: Females (larger) incubate and brood; males (smaller) supply food.
Females may risk their lives for the nest—one anecdote describes a female dying rather than abandoning her egg.
Quote:
"She was so tenacious... she didn't want to give up incubating that egg." (54:03, Rocky)

9. Owl Signs: Pellets & Roosts (56:27)

Pellets alone don’t indicate a nest—they also mark roosts.
Pellets are formed because of a higher stomach pH; owls can’t fully digest bones/hair, so they regurgitate these as pellets.
More than 300 bird species cast pellets, but owls form the largest, most recognizable ones.
Quote:
"I guess you could call it barfology, where they're barfing these pellets up." (57:40, Rocky)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On owl fieldwork:
“You put the mouse down, they come for the mouse and just snatch them by the foot.” (37:22, Rocky)
On owl vision:
“Their eyes are so big, like a great horned owl is 5% of its body weight… In a human… 0.003%.” (21:08, Rocky)
On silent flight:
"When you think about it, these things can go right past you and you will not hear them." (34:31, Rocky)
On owl love:
"So they'll get up there and they'll preen their face… and pretty soon they just relax... because you're simulating [allopreening]." (38:04, Rocky)
On being recognized despite his humility:
"I'm not really a legend in that respect because there's many other people that worked on spotted owls that probably know a lot more about spotted owls than I do." (16:57, Rocky)
On owl parenting:
“She was so tenacious… she didn't want to give up incubating that egg.” (54:03, Rocky)

Important Timestamps

05:32 — Rocky introduces himself and explains the origin of his nickname.
07:22 — Rocky’s first formative owl encounter.
11:09 — The beginning of spotted owl research and conservation drama.
15:33 — Rocky’s academic background and what drew him to challenging bird species.
18:09 — The anatomical “illusion” of the owl's appearance and unique features.
23:40 — How owls rotate their heads up to 270 degrees.
26:30 — The (real and fake) ears of owls and their hearing adaptations.
28:27 — Nocturnal, crepuscular, and diurnal owl species explained.
29:43 — The adaptations for near-silent owl flight.
34:47 — How owls hunt: perch-and-pounce and fieldwork methods.
38:02 — Allopreening behavior and pair bonding.
45:44 — Do owls mate for life?
47:05 — Owl nesting habits and structures.
48:46 — Territoriality and overlap between owl species.
50:23 — Advice on providing owl boxes for your yard.
52:01 — Division of parenting roles between male and female owls.
54:03 — Stories of devoted (sometimes to a tragic degree) owl mothers.
56:27 — Owl pellets, what they are, what they mean, and how they’re formed.
57:40 — Barfology—coining the study of owl pellets.

Upcoming in Part 2

The episode concludes with a tease for next week, promising answers to more listener questions about:

Owl folklore and omens
The “Parliament” of owls
Barred vs. barn owls
Whether to hoot back
Threatened species
Famous murder cases involving owls
And more in-depth owl science!

Resources & References

Rocky’s recommended cause: International Owl Center, Houston, MN
Mentioned book: Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl by Jonathan C. Slaght
Key papers: “Features of Owl Wings that Promote Silent Flight” (2017)
Previous Ologies episodes: “Fire Ecology” (Dr. Gavin Jones), “Chickens” (two-parter), and “Lutronology" (otters)

Tone

Enjoyed by both seasoned birders and science newbies, this part one is the owl episode you never knew you needed.

Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 1 with R.J. Gutiérrez

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Summary

Ologies with Alie Ward

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutierrez (05:32)

2. Rocky’s Origin Story: Falling for Owls (07:22)

3. The Birth of Spotted Owl Research and Its Conservation Drama (11:09)

4. Why Owls? The Allure & Challenges (15:14)

5. What Makes an Owl an Owl? Anatomy & Illusions (18:09)

Skull & Face (18:41)

Vision (22:03)

Owl Head Rotation (23:40)

Facial Disc & Hearing (25:33)

Activity Patterns (28:27)

6. Owl Flight: Masters of Stealth (29:43)

7. Hunting Behaviors: Perch & Pounce (34:47)

8. Owl Behavior & Social Structure

Allopreening & Pair Bonds (38:02)

Mating for Life? (45:44)

Nesting Habits (47:05)

Territoriality & Species Overlap (48:46)

Attracting Owls (50:23)

Parenting (52:01)

9. Owl Signs: Pellets & Roosts (56:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Timestamps

Upcoming in Part 2

Resources & References

Tone

Summary

Ologies with Alie Ward

Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutierrez (05:32)

2. Rocky’s Origin Story: Falling for Owls (07:22)

3. The Birth of Spotted Owl Research and Its Conservation Drama (11:09)

4. Why Owls? The Allure & Challenges (15:14)

5. What Makes an Owl an Owl? Anatomy & Illusions (18:09)

Skull & Face (18:41)

Vision (22:03)

Owl Head Rotation (23:40)

Facial Disc & Hearing (25:33)

Activity Patterns (28:27)

6. Owl Flight: Masters of Stealth (29:43)

7. Hunting Behaviors: Perch & Pounce (34:47)

8. Owl Behavior & Social Structure

Allopreening & Pair Bonds (38:02)

Mating for Life? (45:44)

Nesting Habits (47:05)

Territoriality & Species Overlap (48:46)

Attracting Owls (50:23)

Parenting (52:01)

9. Owl Signs: Pellets & Roosts (56:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Timestamps

Upcoming in Part 2

Resources & References

Tone