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From Michael Clark

Late morning Barn Owl hunting.

From Steve Borgwald

Long-eared Owl, Bitter Lake NWR, New Mexico. 27 April 2025. We were both surprised.

From Hog Capitol Wildlife Rescue

Another new kid this morning! He'll have 11 other buddies! We now have 12 barred owlets and 5 Great horned owlets. As soon as they can fly, they'll all go back to their parents.

Was excited to see the baby Screech outside of its box yesterday, and not only that, but it has a new neighbor! This is the newest one taking a nap. Like people babies, holding up that big head is a lot of work, so they just plop down to give themselves a break.

This is the one that showed up last week. Glad to see it adjusting to clinic life.

This was my first look at the new one. It didn't know what to make of me and was doing the circular head bobbing to give me a good once over.

Someone else had beat me to feeding them. Boo.

I did manage to grab a pic of a opossum baby. They tend to scurry off as soon as they're spotted so I was happy to finally catch one.

I just dropped off their meal and I saw it stick its nose out and start sniffing, so I just stood still and waited.

I mixed up lots of different formulas for the next day or two. Raccoon milk and skunk milk were the 2 I can remember. The skunk milk smelled pretty good... 😁

Did some birds also. The Cooper's Hawk was very hungry and I got to watch him "hunt" the bird I left for him and start eating. Got to feed some bluebirds and that was my first good look at them. The baby jays double in size each week I see them. Fed them mealworms and blueberries.

I met the raven I heard about last week! The girls were afraid to reach in there to clean up his thing, so I'm like I'll give it a go! I pulled back its privacy towel and that thing was huge! Getting the messy paper out wasn't bad, as it moved around me, but when it came time for the new paper, it didn't like me working around its legs and looked to get uncomfortable. I quickly grabbed a raptor handling glove from the table next to me! I got it all resituated and called it a day with that guy! I didn't grab a pic because it's latch was a little finicky and I didn't know its behaviors, so I just wanted to concentrate on the job this time.

From Steve Liffmann

At first glance, you may only see one owl, but if you look again over its left shoulder, its mate is lurking in the background.

Great Horned Owl

New Hampshire

April 2025

From Rohit Nayal

Eyes locked in the shadows of the Chafi stream...

Last evening, as dusk settled in and the forest came alive with whispers, a sudden flutter broke the silence-the majestic Tawny Fish Owl perched silently, watching, waiting.

Its amber eyes met mine for a brief second... and in that moment, the forest stood still.

These are the moments we live for-rare, raw, and unforgettable.

May 2025

At Nature Sparsh Homestay, high on the Sattal hills, every day offers a chance to witness such magic. Whether you're a birder, photographer, or nature lover, come find your own wild stories here-surrounded by mountain views, crisp air, and the calls of Himalayan birds.

Bring your camera. Bring your curiosity. Bring your family.

Let nature surprise you.

From James Overesch

So much fun seeing this little nugget yesterday afternoon! I included the full photo without crop. I shot it vertically to try to incorporate more of the tree it was sitting on. Hope you like it!

Barred owlet photographed in Wisconsin.

From Tony's Takes Photography

Burrowing owl makes a tricky landing. My photo excursion this morning did not have a lot of a variety but it did have a good bit of entertainment thanks to these little guys. I spent time at few different nests, this one being my favorite as it is relatively close and there are no other people. Mama only made a brief appearance, I am guessing she is sitting on eggs now. Dad, however, put on a nice little show with some cool flights. Here, he makes a landing on a mullein plant with the sun lighting up those wings beautifully.

From Ojai Raptor Center

This fledgling Great Horned Owl took was especially attracted to the water spray and took full advantage of our outdoor misters last week-plopping down right underneath them and soaking up every drop like it was their own personal spa.

Owls have incredibly soft feathers that let them fly completely silently-a key adaptation for stealthy nighttime hunting. But all that fluff comes with a trade- off: when they get drenched, they can't fly until they're dry again!

With the heat we've been having, this soggy owl dried off in no time... but not before enjoying every second of their personal cooling station at the Owl Spa!

From Chetan Kher

Since the owlet in this nest is already branched/fledged, I am sharing this picture (taken few days back). The adult screech owl brought something delicious for the little baby but stayed out of the nest for a few seconds to show us what he was delivering.

Rescuers at Congress of the Birds wear a big owl mask when feeding orphaned owls so the babies don't imprint on their human caretakers

From Providence Journal

It's hot and hard to see from inside the giant owl mask, but it's important to wear it so the young, orphaned owls can someday make a successful return to the wild.

Rescuers at Congress of the Birds don the former Halloween mask so the owlets think they're being fed by an owl, or so the babies at least don't realize they're being fed by a human, says Sheida Soleimani, founder of the Providence rehabilitation facility.

"You're hot under there. You're trying to feed them. There's a lot of squinting and hoping you can get food into their mouths," Soleimani said.

But there's no complaining about those working conditions, because the job requires silence.

"In rehabilitation settings, it is extremely important that our young raptor patients do not become imprinted on people, and the only way we can prevent this is by masking our faces and staying completely silent while feeding them," Soleimani wrote in an Instagram post showing Lexi Figore, chief of staff, masked and feeding a rescued owlet as it wolfed down chunks of raw food.

"This ensures the owlets don’t associate food and care with humans, which is critical for their successful release back into the wild," Soleimani said.

One Instagram user responded, "An incredibly dedicated person."

"This is so adorable – both the chick and the mask," wrote another.

Another commenter cracked, "So when released in the wild he will be looking for big bird!!!"

All in an effort to remind the young birds that they are owls

To help the owlets understand they're owls, Congress of the Birds also places stuffed animal owls and photos of owls in their incubators. They also sometimes feed them while wearing gloves that resemble claws.

Soleimani acknowledges the giant mask with the stationary eyes probably doesn't fool the owlets into thinking "This is my mom," but she expects the mask to at least prevent the owlets from thinking any of their human caretakers are mom.

2025 has been a busy season for wildlife rescues

As of April 22, Congress of the Birds was caring for five young great horned owls. One was scheduled for release later in the day, but four younger ones will need more care before they can return to the wild.

In the best-case scenario, rescuers immediately return baby owls to their nests so that mom and dad can care for them, but sometimes that's not possible; maybe the nest has been destroyed, or the parents have died.

Owls that imprint on humans can't survive in the wild

With baby owls that can't be reunited with their parents, humans nurse them along until they're old enough to fly and hunt. The rescuers must strike a delicate balance. The urge to hold the fuzzy babies is strong. Owlets imprint quickly, according to Soleimani, and they won't survive in the wild if they imprint on their human caretakers.

"They can't hunt for themselves. They really can't do anything," she said.

Owls imprinted on humans have even attacked people in an effort to find food, according to Soleimani.

The younger they are when rescued, the more likely they are to imprint on their human caretakers. One of the owlets rescued this spring hatched in the care of Congress of the Birds.

Owls aren't the only type of babies that imprint on their human caretakers. It's an issue for all baby raptors, as well as ravens. To prevent that, Congress of the Birds also has eagle and hawk masks. This year, they've been using a raven mask when feeding four baby common ravens rescued this spring.

Springtime in Rhode Island brings new hatchlings and the start of the busy season for Congress of the Birds and other wildlife rehabilitators. Birds can lose their homes when trees are cut down, or even when bushes are cleared, which is how four American woodcocks ended up in their care.

"Spring is our wildest season, and right now, our food bill is sky-high," Congress of the Birds wrote in another post, showing the four baby ravens, beaks open and pointing at the ceiling.

The ravens eat $50 worth of mice daily, and it costs another $50 each day to feed the four owlets. Congress of the Birds is looking for volunteers and asking for donations. (It has plenty of worms after seeking worm donations for its American woodcocks.)

Soleimani would also welcome donations from artists who could make papier-mâché masks of raptors. She's an artist herself, but she's busy this spring caring for a lot of baby birds.

From Hog Capitol Wildlife Rescue

Never a dull moment and we love every moment with our babies!