It’s time to look back on 2025! Check our blog between Christmas and New Year’s for a variety of stories and memories of 2025 from the staff of the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
For me, 2025 was the year of the imping procedure.
I was first introduced to imping in 2021, shortly after I began working at the Wildlife Center. Before that, most of my hands-on experience had been with baby animals rather than raptors, and I had no idea a procedure like imping even existed. When our former rehabilitation supervisor, Kelsey Pleasants, first guided me through an imping procedure on a Barred Owl, I was fascinated by the level of skill and attention to detail it required.
Imping is a technique in which broken feathers are replaced with donor feathers from a deceased conspecific (same species). The practice dates back hundreds of years and was used by falconers as early as the 13th century. While modern materials and methods have refined the process, the basic steps have remained largely unchanged, and every step requires careful attention. For example, when selecting donor feathers, it is imperative that the size, shape, and coloration are a near-perfect match to the patient’s, and that each feather must be implanted at the correct length and rotation. Even minor deviations can affect a bird’s ability to fly. When done correctly, imping allows birds to regain full flight capability and return to the wild far sooner than they otherwise could—without it, we would have to wait months or even years for patients with feather damage to naturally molt.
Owls are the species we imp most frequently, and two procedures this year stand out in my mind. The first was Barn Owl #25-0282, because I had never imped a Barn Owl before! They have uniquely patterned and shaped feathers, compared to the Barred Owls and Great-horned Owls I usually imp.
The other patient I clearly remember is Great-horned Owl #25-1423. I was lucky enough to release the owl the day after its imping procedure. It was rescued close to the Center, near the Blue Ridge Tunnel, so my coworker Jenn and I packed the bird up right after work and took it just down the road for release. We watched this owl take off within seconds of the box being opened and witnessed its return to the wild against a beautiful, woodsy sunset. Releasing any patient after months of time and hard work is always extremely rewarding and something I keep close to my heart.
In 2025, we performed imping procedures on five Great Horned Owls, eight Barred Owls, a Cooper's Hawk, a Barn Owl, and a Red-shouldered Hawk—16 patients total, 14 of which I performed, and all but one were successful. The birds, their new feathers and all, were released within just a few days after the procedure. The one unsuccessful owl on my 2025 track record was not silent after imping due to the new feathers being over-rotated, causing it to be noisy in flight. Fortunately, this bird was released months later after molting out the feathers on its own. With each procedure I performed, I had the opportunity to perfect my skills and continue learning through experience and repetition.
Another particularly special aspect of imping this year was being able to teach my fellow rehabilitators how to do it. Three of our newer rehabilitation team members were able to take part in imping procedures this year, developing and refining their skills, while students and volunteers got the chance to watch and ask questions. Being able to share my knowledge and skills with them was one of my favorite parts of the procedures, and I’m excited to see them continue to grow in the future.
– Mac Stewart, Rehabilitation Team Lead