Great Horned Owlet #16-0307

Species Name (EN): 
Species Name (LA): 
Admission Date: 
April 18, 2016
Release Date: 
October 25, 2016
Location of Rescue: 
Charlottesville, VA
Cause of Admission / Condition: 
Fell from nest, injured wing
Prognosis: 
Outcome: 
Patient Status: 
Patient Archive
Released

On April 18, a nestling Great Horned Owlet was brought to the Wildlife Center of Virginia with a possible wing injury and was admitted as patient #16-0307. A private citizen brought the Great Horned Owlet to a veterinary hospital in Charlottesville, where the owlet stayed the weekend before it was brought to the Center for further evaluation Monday morning.

Great Horned Owlet #16-307 was bright and responsive during the initial examination. Dr. Helen examined the owlet’s right injured wing, but noted no signs of a wing droop. However, Dr. Helen found a small knot on the patagium (skin along the wing) of the right wing, near to the owlet’s shoulder.

Radiographs revealed bilateral, chronic fractures on both wings towards the wrists. The fractures were stable and likely the results of falling from the nest. Based on how the fractures appear to have healed and the relatively good body condition of the owlet, it is possible that the patient was receiving care from its parents while on the ground. Members of the Center’s veterinary staff are keeping an eye on the patagial knot, and applying massage and laser therapies to the area daily. Follow-up radiographs will be taken in eight days.

The location of the owlet’s fractures is of slight concern to our veterinarians due to their proximity to the young bird’s growth plates. This could potentially cause issues with bone growth in the future, but only time will tell.

Once cleared by our veterinarians, Great Horned Owlet #16-0307 will reside with Papa G’Ho and Great Horned Owlet #16-0097. The owlet is currently housed in a closed crate inside of Papa’s C-Pen enclosure when not receiving treatment, in order for the owls to become acclimated to one another and prevent improper imprinting on humans.

Your donation will help provide this young owlet with special care. Thanks for your support!

Updates

November 7, 2016

Great Horned Owl #16-0307 successfully passed mouse school at the end of October. Pre-release blood work and a final exam were all within normal limits and the bird was cleared for release.

On October 25, the owl was returned to Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary for release.

October 17, 2016

The four Great Horned Owlets have been doing well as they prepare for release. The rehabilitation team is working on splitting up the owls so that each can be "mouse schooled" individually; this will also allow for close scrutiny of each owl's flight capabilities. Currently, owlet #16-0307 and #16-00456 are each housed individually in a flight pen, and are going through live prey testing. The owlets have been able to practice with live prey all summer long; for this final "official" mouse school, each owlet will need to catch and kill its own food for five days to ensure that it is ready for release in the wild.

When additional flight pen space is available, owlets #16-0923 and #16-0097 will be split up to go through mouse school.

September 16, 2016

Since late April, Papa G’Ho  -- the Center’s surrogate Great Horned Owl -- has been rearing four Great Horned Owlets: patients #16-0456, #16-0097, #16-0307, and #16-0923. Despite each owl being admitted to the Wildlife Center at different times, their closeness in age has allowed them to be housed together. The birds have grown significantly in the last five months and are displaying behavior that is typical for Great Horned Owls in the wild, such as producing a clicking sound with their tongues as a threat display when approached.


  

The next step in rehabilitating these owls for release will be ensuring that each is able to pass “mouse school” – successfully hunting and capturing live mice over the course of several consecutive nights. Dr. Knight, the assistant director of veterinary services, predicts this phase will begin in the coming weeks when there is room to split the owls up into individual enclosures.

June 24, 2016

On June 20, the four young Great Horned Owlets were moved to flight pen A2, where they have more space to explore and fly. Papa G'Ho stayed behind for a few days; Papa has had a recurring eye ulcer on his left eye for the past few weeks, and Dr. Dana wanted to stain the eye one last time on Thursday, June 23 before moving Papa.

Dr. Dana was happy to report that the ulcer had fully healed, so Papa joined his four young charges on the afternoon of June 23 in A2.

June 20, 2016

The four Great Horned Owlets that are living with surrogate Papa G'Ho are doing well. The young owlets are looking more like adult Great Horned Owls each week and are very active in their enclosure. Students report that the newest addition to the owl parliament - owlet #16-0923 - is especially feisty.

Each Sunday, the rehabilitation staff has been offering live mice in a tub to the owl family as "practice mouse school" for the young birds. The owlets are able to observe Papa hunting for mice or try to hunt on their own.

By June 25, the owlets will be moved to a larger outdoor enclosure [A2] to continue exercising and growing in a larger space. The owlets will remain in the care of the Wildlife Center until the fall.
 

May 6, 2016

The Great Horned Owl family is doing well at the Wildlife Center. Many Critter Cam viewers have been able to watch the Center’s non-releasable surrogate, Papa G’Ho, and the three young Great Horned Owlets during the past week. The owlets are eating well, growing, and have been very playful – the rehabilitation staff have been adding various enrichment items regularly. One day this past week, the owl family was given a dish of leaves with superworms” (extra-large mealworms) in it. The owls were fascinated!

Each owlet is wearing a colored identification band on each leg. While the bands are partially covered by the owls’ fluffy leg feathers, sometimes viewers may catch a glimpse. Great Horned Owlet #16-0097 is wearing red bands, owlet #16-0307 has green bands, and the newest owlet, #16-0456, is not wearing any bands.

The owls are weighed regularly to ensure that each bird is getting its fair share of food. The birds will remain with Papa G’Ho until they are becoming more active and flying more.
 

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