Volunteers for Wildlife: Freedom in Flight

Although we are approaching the end of our slower winter season here at Volunteers for Wildlife, we still have plenty to keep us busy until we enter the 7 month stretch of "baby season" that will inevitably keep us as busy as ever.

Last weekend, we admitted a large female Great Horned Owl to our hospital. Unfortunately, she was out hunting at night and became entangled in a sports net in a residential backyard. After she was rescued by a staff member and one of our brave volunteers, she was brought back to the clinic to get an exam. She did not appear to have been injured too severely in the net, but as indicated by her lethargic wings, had probably strained a few muscles and was suffering from post-traumatic stress after the ordeal. Wanting to make sure that we didn't miss any fractures during our exam, we took our new patient to our wonderful vet, Dr. Leonhardt, for some x-rays which confirmed that she was just suffering from some soft tissue damage after struggling to free herself from the net overnight. This female owl had a definite wild edge that was comforting to see, as this indicated that her condition was not too severe. She would just need a few days to rest her wings to ensure her flight would not be compromised once she was back outside.

As indicated by her weight upon admission to the clinic, we knew that this owl was a female. As in all birds of prey, Great Horned Owl females are larger in size and weigh more than the males. Given this information, an additional concern about having this owl in the clinic and away from the wild was that it was possible that she could have a nest with eggs. Great horned owls are a species of bird that breed very early in the year. They usually breed in late January or early February. Due to the possibility of her already having a nest, it was our ultimate goal to get her out of our hospital as soon as possible.

After about a week at the clinic, the female Great Horned Owl was showing signs that she had rested long enough and was ready to return home. We waited until after the Noreaster last week and then tested her flight to determine if she was strong enough to fly. After a test flight, we knew it was time to release her.

Late in the afternoon Friday, our full time staff and another volunteer drove her back to Brookville where she was rescued to ensure that she would return to her home territory, and nest, if she had one. This owl was more than ready to go. As we prepared to release her, she showed us just how strong her wings were as she forcefully flapped them in anticipation of using them to return to her wild home. As we said our goodbyes and good lucks, we watched her fly into the distance, with a glimpse at her breathtaking wingspan. It was a happy day being able to return such an amazing animal to the place where she belongs.