A Deluge of Barn Owls
Read about the huge number of barn owls treated at our summer during spring and summer of 2005
In most years the Wildlife Care Center treats between 10 and 20 barn owls. Since January of 2005 we have already taken in more than 40, almost all of them juveniles! First this appears to be a good year for barn owls. Barn owls are one of the earliest nesting species in the Pacific Northwest, but the warm weather that we had in December and January allowed them to get a particularly early start. We took in our first baby barn owl on January 4th! We have had a steady stream ever since.
- 5 day old barn owl brought to Care Center in January
- Nestling barn owls at Care Center in March
- Fledgling Barn Owls learning to fly in Audubon Flight Cages in June
These birds arrive for a variety of reasons. Barn owls frequently nest in manmade structures. Several owlets were brought to us when they were discovered after the buildings they were nesting in were torn down. Barn owls can have anywhere from 1-12 young, so the destruction of a single nest can orphan a lot of youngsters. Another nest of nine owlets came in after they were discovered on a truckload of hay bales brought in from Washington. Workers did not notice the owlets until they arrived in Portland, hundreds of miles from their parents and too late to reunite them. Four owls came in after they became oiled. Their parents nested in a hole in a building wall at a auto wrecking yard. Unfortunately the opening to the nest was located directly above an oil containment area, and when the young first emerged from the nest, they flew to the ground and became covered in oil.
- Oiled Barn Owl from North Portland before washing
- Oiled Barn Owl after Washing
By far the most common reason for owlets to be brought to the Care Center is that well-meaning people discover them on the ground and believe that they are in need of rescue. In fact barn owls (and all other species of owls) often spend some time on the ground learning to fly—this can last from several days to several weeks. Although the parents cannot lift them back to the nest, they will bring them food and care for them while they are on the ground. This “fledging” process is critical to their survival as this is when they learn most of their life skills. Young owls on the ground should not be interfered with unless they are clearly injured. If there are immediate hazards in the area, a fledgling can be placed on a nearby tree branch or if they are particularly young, a makeshift nest can be fashioned out of a cardboard box and attached to a nearby tree or structure. Taking the bird out of the wild should only be done as an absolute last resort. Raising birds of prey in captivity is a long process and can never completely replace the learning that these birds would gain in the wild. Although life in the wild (including urban nesting owls) is full of hazards, a bird’s greatest chance for survival is to remain with its natural parents.
Please Check our Upcoming Releases if you would like to attend a barn owl release.
The deluge of owls has drained the Wildlife Care Center’s food budget. We are currently going through $250-$300 worth of mice a week. If you would like to help provide for these barn owlets and support the work of the Wildlife Care Center in general, please send contributions to: Wildlife Care Center, 5151 NW Cornell Road, Portland, OR 97210, or call Bob Sallinger at (503)292-6855 x122
