this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2024
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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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From Audubon Center for Birds of Prey

Rescuing raptors is never exactly easy, but last week we had a particularly tricky situation on our hands. We received a call from a homeowner who saw an Eastern Screech Owl fall into a 9 foot concrete column in their back patio. The owl had been in the area for a few days, perching on top of the column, and it was by a stroke of luck that the homeowner saw the moment it fell in. With a width of about four inches, the hole was not wide enough for the owl to spread its wings and fly out.

Volunteers Maggie Haynes and Noah Hoffner-O'connor met at the home and immediately began trying a variety of rescue methods. Finally, they found something that worked: A soup ladle with two cords attached provided a little scoop for the owl to rest in while they raised it up. Once at the top of the column, Noah quickly grabbed the owl before it could jump down again.

Here at the Raptor Trauma Clinic, we gave the owl a quick exam and it passed with flying colors-it was released later that same day. Noah and Maggie discussed with the grateful homeowner the possibility of installing a screech-owl nest box, and the necessity of covering the openings at the top of those columns. Cheers to Noah, Maggie, the conscientious homeowner, and the little screech owl, flying free once again!

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[–] anon6789 8 points 3 weeks ago
[–] homesweethomeMrL 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] anon6789 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The pics were a little meh on this one, but the ingenuous owl-evator made the story a must-share!

[–] homesweethomeMrL 4 points 3 weeks ago

Owl-evator! That's jenius I tells ya.