IT'S BABY OWL SEASON! This is the season when lots of young owls fall out of their nests for various reasons. Because they are all fuzzy, most people assume they are too young to be out of the nest. It's normal for owls to leave the nest before they can fly well, so just because they are fuzzy and on the ground doesn't mean they need help. Here's how to assess the situation:
--If the owlet has blood on it, is obviously injured, or isn't bright-eyed and alert, it needs to go to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator ASAP. Use this link to find a rehabber in the USA.
--If the owlet has fully grown wing feathers and a mostly grown-in tail, it's a fledgling and old enough to be out of the nest. Keep cats and dogs in the area indoors for a few days while the owlet gets the hang of flying. In the meantime, it can climb up into bushes and trees, and/or you can pick it up (with gloves) and put it up onto a branch off the ground. It will just jump out of the nest if you try to put it back into its nest or into an artificial nest.
--If the owlet is too young to be out of the nest (the young Great Horned Owl pictured above is just a little bit too young), it should be put back into its nest or into an artificial nest close to the original nest. Parents will look for their young and feed them if they are anything other than tiny nestlings. For screech and barred owls, you can put up a nest box with the young one in it. For Great Horned Owls, laundry baskets with holes drilled in the bottom and filled with wood shavings (not sawdust, because it holds moisture) work very well.
--If you know that one parent has been killed, fear not! Owls are great parents and as long as the owlets are old enough to thermoregulate, one parent can often finish raising the kids.
--If in doubt, take a photo of the owlet and discuss the situation with your nearest wildlife rehabilitator. Other owl species have different needs, so consult with a rehabber for them.
To help age young Great Horned Owls and give you an idea what their flight feather growth looks like, you can click the link to check out our growth guide.
The young Great Horned Owl in this photo fell out of its nest in rural Houston after a windstorm this spring and was put up in a neighboring tree in an artificial nest.
Excellent! I clip n’ sav’d the rehab list too, because, y’know. Handy!