Our Honorary President, Tony Warburton, is the winner of this year’s International ‘Champion of Owls’ Award and was inducted into the ‘Owl Hall of Fame’ at a special ceremony held at the ‘Festival of Owls’ in Houston, Minnesota, on 2nd March 2007. Tony has dedicated the past 40 years of his life to owls. His interest in the creatures sparked when as a young lad he was out collecting firewood with his grandfather and caught sight of his first tawny owl. He had a voracious appetite for all books about wildlife, and his “Observer’s Book of Birds” got an especially hard workout. From there his interest snowballed.

Tony’s extensive work on behalf of owls has included over 1,000 conservation lectures with live owls throughout the UK and Finland, four decades of owl research, books, countless magazine and periodical articles, and hosting wildlife programs on British and Dutch television that often focused on owls. Given his work, it’s no wonder that Tony is considered the forefather of owl research, conservation, and rehabilitation here in the UK.

Unquenchable enthusiasm has been the hallmark of Tony Warburton’s work and personality. He has inspired countless others to follow in his footsteps and strike out on their own in the name of owls. At age 71, he has no intention of ever retiring, for he says the battle to save the world’s biodiversity – including owls – is far from won.

Registered Charity Number: 1055489 Limited Company Number: 5296745

The World Owl Trust is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The Trust relies on a dedicated membership, visitors, donations and legacies.