A Morgan Hill great horned owl was a little too eager to leave
the nest before she had matured. She was a fledgling, about 6 weeks
old and just learning to fly, when she hopped out of her nest,
slipped off the branch and fell to the ground in mid-May. It’s a
common occurrence in the avian world and bird parents will normally
continue to care for and feed their youngsters until they
”
earn their wings
”
and take off in their maiden flights.
A Morgan Hill great horned owl was a little too eager to leave the nest before she had matured. She was a fledgling, about 6 weeks old and just learning to fly, when she hopped out of her nest, slipped off the branch and fell to the ground in mid-May. It’s a common occurrence in the avian world and bird parents will normally continue to care for and feed their youngsters until they “earn their wings” and take off in their maiden flights. In this case, the owl injured its wing in the fall and might have been abandoned by its parents. Fortunately, it was rescued and brought to the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center.
The owl’s right wing feathers were badly broken from the fall and being dragged on the ground for at least several days, and the wing noticeably drooped. It was feared that the shoulder was broken or dislocated. But fortune was smiling on this young owl. X-rays by Dr. Suzanne Colbert showed no fractures, only a possible ligament injury. In addition to daily medication to ease the owl’s pain, its wing was kept wrapped for a week to restrict its movement and aid in healing.
In June, the young raptor was strong enough to be transferred to the care of experienced foster momma, WERC’s educational great horned owl, Luna, who, though only 3 1/2 years old, is on her third year of acting as a hoot’n’nanny. Luna keeps an eye on the growing owlet, provides stimulation and companionship, and helps ensure that it doesn’t become imprinted onto its human caretakers.
In the wild, great horned owls born in the spring are dependent upon their parents for food through the summer and autumn.
Most young great horned owls stay with their parents until they themselves are ready to breed, or until their parents are ready to again reproduce. In order to duplicate this as much as possible, the owl will remain with Luna for another two months and then will transfer to a large aviary where she can build up her flight muscles and become proficient in hunting. This will ensure that when she’s released, she will earn the nicknames of great horned owls: “Winged Tiger,” “Feathered Wildcat” and “Flying Mousetrap.” She must also molt her broken feathers, so that her wings are perfectly formed.
The owl will need to remain at WERC during winter, eventually being “soft released” on a clear spring evening into the woodsy area where she will have spent almost a year. A soft release slowly reintroduces a former long-term patient to the wild to allow it to further develop hunting skills while food continues to be provided. Though the area is abounding with natural prey – squirrels, rodents, rabbits, skunks, lizards, frogs, ducks and pigeons – volunteers will place supplementary food outside her former aviary for a short time. We look forward to hearing her haunting hoo-hoo-hooooo from the night, letting us know that she’s prospering in the wild … the best reward that a wildlife rehabilitator can receive.
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WERC will present its educational animal ambassadors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Taste of Morgan Hill on Sept. 24-25. Check out WERC’s display on the steps of Old Republic Title Co. at First Street and Monterey Road.
The Wildlife Fest, WERC’s 16th annual BBQ-Auction Fundraiser will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center. There will be food, live and silent auctions, raffles and fun activities for all. Have a fantastic time while helping our wildlife stay healthy and wild. Visit www.werc-ca.org for details.
