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| Image by Jon Pauling from Pixabay |
If you find a fluffy owlet on the ground, check its wing feathers: if they are pretty much fully grown in, the owlet is a fledgling and supposed to be out of the nest. Usually mom and dad are nearby watching and taking care of it.
Owlets are vulnerable to predators when they first fledge, since they usually can't fly well. If the owlet is near your home, keep cats and dogs inside for a few days (and encourage neighbors to do the same) until the owlet and its siblings are flying better.
If an owlet is on the ground, you can use gloves to pick it up and put it up on a branch off the ground so it is safer from predators. If it just hops back to the ground, put it near a leaning tree or at the base of a tree with rough bark. Owlets can actually climb trees (even vertical!) using their beaks and talons. If you can hide and watch/listen at dusk you can verify if the adults are coming to care for the owlet.
If the owlet is too young to be out of the nest yet, is old enough to thermoregulate, and seems perky and uninjured, the best bet is to get it back into its nest. If you can't find the nest or the nest is inaccessible, you can put up a nest box or basket as high up as you can get it in a tree and put the owlet in it. The young owl will call for its parents and they will find and feed it. Call your nearest wildlife rehabilitator if you need help figuring out what is best for the owlet.
If the owlet has blood on it, is lethargic, or seems injured, put the owlet in a cardboard box with an old towel or T-shirt on the bottom, put it in a quiet place away from kids and pets, and call your nearest wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Do not give food or water, since that can kill a chilled or starving owl.
Final notes from Marge:
If you would like to receive IOC's free newslettersIf an owlet is on the ground, you can use gloves to pick it up and put it up on a branch off the ground so it is safer from predators. If it just hops back to the ground, put it near a leaning tree or at the base of a tree with rough bark. Owlets can actually climb trees (even vertical!) using their beaks and talons. If you can hide and watch/listen at dusk you can verify if the adults are coming to care for the owlet.
If the owlet is too young to be out of the nest yet, is old enough to thermoregulate, and seems perky and uninjured, the best bet is to get it back into its nest. If you can't find the nest or the nest is inaccessible, you can put up a nest box or basket as high up as you can get it in a tree and put the owlet in it. The young owl will call for its parents and they will find and feed it. Call your nearest wildlife rehabilitator if you need help figuring out what is best for the owlet.
If the owlet has blood on it, is lethargic, or seems injured, put the owlet in a cardboard box with an old towel or T-shirt on the bottom, put it in a quiet place away from kids and pets, and call your nearest wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Do not give food or water, since that can kill a chilled or starving owl.
Driftless region rehabilitators include:
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Click here to receive the Owl Center e-newsletter (upcoming programs & events, educational information)
Click here to receive the Owl Conservation and Research e-newsletter(recent research publications, conservation stories, owl conference info)
Also, if you are in the southeastern part of MN and are interested in becoming a volunteer owl rescuer, there is a free training being offered by the International Owl Center. Details below.
Wednesday, May 21 7:00 -8:00 pm
International Owl Center, 126 E Cedar St. Houston, MN
Although the International Owl Center is not licensed to rehabilitate wildlife, the nearest rehabilitators in Minnesota are over an hour away and we can't send birds across state lines to Iowa or Wisconsin. Because of this distance, we are often called to help injured owls (and other raptors), so we've developed a network of volunteers to pick up and transport birds to get them the care they need. We'd love to add you to our list of trained volunteers!
In this class you'll find out about laws around helping wildlife, possible disease transmission, how to assess if an owl needs help, how to safely pick up and transport an injured raptor, and identification of different owl species in the area (adults and young). If you are willing to become part of our list of volunteers, we'll collect your contact, location and availability information. We could especially use volunteers in La Crescent, Caledonia, Spring Grove and Brownsville
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