this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2024
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Superbowl

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For owls that are superb.

US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now

International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com

Australia Rescue Help: WIRES

Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org

If you find an injured owl:

Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.

Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.

Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.

If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.

For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.

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Photo by Happy Snapper

Dusk is a melanistic barn owl, she is the opposite of an albino. This rare gene mutation occurs 1 in 100,000 with none surviving in the wild. Dusk was hatched in a falconry centre in Lincolnshire and now lives at the owl sanctuary at Winterton, Norfolk..

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I'm surprised she wouldn't survive in the wild - she seems quite well camouflaged. I suppose it must come with some health issues.

Edit: I just dead named an owl... the shame...

[–] anon6789 5 points 5 months ago

That's my initial thought. The leukistic owls, where they end up all white, also do very poorly and are usually blind to some extent. It usually seems there is more than just the generic switch for color that gets flipped the wrong way.