NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1293505
46 Nebraskaland • October 2020 ebraska Game and Parks district offi ces get many calls about wildlife. The call I received about stranded baby barn owls was no exception. A rural family was getting ready to tear down a dilapidated barn on their property when they noticed a baby owl peering over a ledge near the rafters. True stewards of wildlife, they called their local Nebraska Game and Parks offi ce to fi nd out what they could do. Typically, this type of information is forwarded to a volunteer at Raptor Recovery, but at the time, no one was available to respond. Since I had some experience with barn owls, I decided to go. At the location, I heaved my ladder up to the barn's mow, or loft, and propped it up against the aging and collapsing barn wall. I could see the young owlet as I made my way up the rungs, and when I reached the top, I was surprised to fi nd three owlets peering back at me. Getting the owlets down was fairly easy, but also loud; the noise they made when scared or alarmed was one that those observing me rescuing the owls will not soon forget. These owls didn't have all the appropriate feathers that they needed to fl y, and it would be another three to four weeks before they were fully fl edged and able to fend for themselves. When threatened, barn owls will go on their backs and protect themselves by clamping down on their perceived predator with sharp talons. That's exactly what they did to my heavy-duty leather gloves as I reached for them, one at a time. Once they clamped down, I carefully picked them up and covered their wings so they wouldn't try to fl y, which could injure them while being transported. Carrying them down the ladder was fairly easy, but I still needed to pay attention to their sharp beaks. Once secured in an enclosed box, I needed to fi gure out what to do with the owlets. Sometimes placing the young owls near their hatching site where the parents will hear them call for food can be successful. Near the barn was a grain bin with several openings for parent birds to gain access to the owlets, while giving the baby owls protection from predators such as raccoons or foxes. If the adult birds could fi nd their young, this would be the fi rst option to try. But after two days, there were no signs of any mice being brought to the youngsters by their parents, as barn owls will often stockpile mice to feed their young. The owlets didn't cast any pellets, which was another indication that they had The author feeds one of the owlets by hand before the owls are transported to Raptor Recovery. This young owl just fi nished eating some meat to keep it healthy and hydrated after being rescued from the barn. N