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"Birdman" Breeds And Sells Owls, Falcons
Tom Cullen from Goshen, N.Y., says his love of birds led to an unusual sideline business. He breeds and sells owls and falcons, some of which are very rare. "Outside of zoos, which don't often have excess birds to sell, I'm one of only three Eurasian Eagle Owl breeders in this country," he explains, noting that the b
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"Birdman" Breeds And Sells Owls, Falcons 31-3-7 Tom Cullen from Goshen, N.Y., says his love of birds led to an unusual sideline business. He breeds and sells owls and falcons, some of which are very rare. "Outside of zoos, which don't often have excess birds to sell, I'm one of only three Eurasian Eagle Owl breeders in this country," he explains, noting that the birds have the world's largest 6-ft. wing span. "I'm one of only two producing Spectacled Owls, and the only person producing White-faced Scops Owls.
"My birds come from a combination of the original stock that existed in this country, and some imported birds," Cullen says.
"I have four pairs of Eagle Owls with three independent genetic lines. I have three pairs of Spectacled Owls, one of which is genetically independent. I have two pairs of White-faced Scops, all of which have some common genetics. I also have a pair of Steppes Eagles that I'm hoping to breed."
Cullen also breeds three species of Falcons - the Lannier, Barbary and Saker. Currently, he produces and sells about 20 birds per year.
Buyers are predominantly wildlife educators, nature centers, zoos, falconers and some hobbyists who are into breeding rare birds.
Some of these raptors are used in pest bird control programs at stadiums, vineyards, landfills, airports, oil refineries and power plants.
They vary in price from $2,000 to $3,500 per bird, depending on the species. Cullen says no federal permit is required to own the birds, but state requirements vary.
He sells his birds to buyers from all across the U.S., and ships them by air - or people are welcome to come and pick them up.
"Raising birds started as a hobby of mine. These species have been getting scarcer over time because they're not being replaced," Cullen explains. "I like to educate kids and expose them to tame owls. I do a lot of free talks to non-profit organizations, as well as offering paid programs for schools and camps. I have a variety of birds that I bring with me such as a Tawney Eagle and three species of Falcons."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, TC Management Inc., Tom Cullen, Goshen, N.Y. (ph 845 294-5002; fax 845 294-0554; tcullen@frontiernet.net).
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