#bubo virginianus
This is Basket Owl (a baby great horned owl). Its mother, who is perhaps a first time mother, selected an old, very small (for an owl) crow nest at the top of a tree. Not surprising to the people watching her constantly pulling her baby back under herself as it bulged over the edges of the nest, the baby fell out when very young. Thankfully, some kind humans noticed and instead of absconding with the baby, they grabbed a new nest (a deep basket) and secured it part way up the nest tree, then placed the baby in the basket. Thankfully, mom realized this was a much better nest and resumed sitting on her baby in their new home. This is Basket Owl yesterday, several weeks after its rescue, doing well and in the “brancher” phase (i.e. not quite fledging, but moving around in the tree a bit). It’s such a cute puff and a testament to people trying to keep the baby with its parents instead of just kidnapping it with good intentions.
Please, if you encounter baby birds this season, do your best to place them back in the nest or up in a bush or tree, off the ground. Don’t immediately take the baby and accidentally kidnap it. If the nest seems to have broken, find a cardboard box or a small basket, place the baby inside, and secure it up in the nest tree, off the ground (the parents are very likely going to find it). If you feel the bird may be legitimately injured, call a bird expert or rehabber BEFORE taking the baby away from its parents.
Enjoy watching all the cute baby birds this season!
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This is Solo. She is another animal ambassador at CuriOdyssey. Solo’s right wing has been severely damaged, so she is unable to fly. She lives comfortably among the other raptors, behind the scenes at CuriOdyssey.
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Sketch of the lovely Great Horned Owl that I spotted and photographed at Skidaway Island State Park this morning.
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A four-owl day in Central Park (12/8/18)
Two barred owls, a northern saw-whet and a great-horned!
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Great Horned Owl
Charles Morgenstern, 2022.
Bear Creek Regional Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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