Recently somebody I know found a baby owl (owlet) on their daily walk and wasn’t entirely sure what they should do next in this situation. I think it can be extremely complicated when it comes to finding baby birds about how the best way to treat the situation would be. There are so many different things we are told, some say to leave the bird because you don’t want to leave your scent on the bird so their mothers abandon them. Others will say you need to intervene because its likely the birds already been abandoned and they are now easy prey once they have fallen from a nest. Therefore in this post I aim to clear up some of this confusion regarding owls.
So… What do you do if you find a baby owl?
The broad answer is it is usually best to leave it in the wild if possible but if there is any sign of injury or distress then ensure the owlet is safe first and foremost. If the owlet is injured, extremely vulnerable and in an unsafe place then intervention will be required. Always consider the type of owlet you are dealing with when making a decision. Some owlets are likely to be out of the nest such as Tawny owlets but others such as Barn or Little owlets should always be in the nest so if they are found elsewhere alone then this is much more concerning.
Step 1 – Try identifying the owl.
First of all, knowledge may be power for the best survival of the owlet. Therefore you should probably try (if you can) identify what type of species the owlet is, this may change how you deal with the owlet in question. The best way to start identifying owls is to look at their eyes. Entirely black eyes mean nocturnal, yellow eyes mean diurnal (active during the day) and orange eyes mean crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk). Next it would be best to look at the markings and the size. If you aren’t clued up on your owl species – no worries, I will provide some more general tips on the best way to deal with any owl.
Step 2 – Check that the owlet is actually in trouble.
Ultimately it is advised to leave owls where they are found unless they are clearly injured because choosing to take that owl from the wild will mean this owl will end up hand-reared by humans and therefore is unlikely to be able to live in the wild again. This isn’t the worse case scenario, its certainly better than leaving an owl to die if that seems likely. Hand-reared owls in captivity live much longer lives than wild owls and are generally very happy when they are flown often and treated well but ultimately we want our owls to live the free natural life they are meant for. Some owls, such as Tawny owls, often leave the nest before they are able to fly anyway (this is called Branching) and this is very normal behaviour and doesn’t call for human intervention. The parent owls will feed their young out of the nest if that is where they find them, they will locate their young through a call. The Tawny owlets will explore a little and this is totally fine whereas owlets such as Barn owls or Little owls are not meant to be out of the nest so this would be more concerning. If you do decide to touch the owlet to check for injury or to maybe move it to a visible nest, this is no problem as long as you are careful – unlike some birds, owls have a poor sense of smell therefore they will not be rejected by their parents if you handle them.
First impressions are quite important: Look at the surrounding situation to see what is going on. If the owl is surrounded by food then this is likely to be fine to be left, it probably is on the floor feeding and you have caught the owlet off guard. If their parents have brought them food then the fate of the owlet should really be left to the parents who are caring for the owlet. If the owlet is soaked by the rain and clearly struggling (since owls are not waterproof) and if you feel the owl is not being attended to by the parents then this seems a situation where intervention is necessary. Also always check the position the owlet is in. If crouching, standing, or sat in an organised manner (no limbs protruding looking injured) the owlet may be fine, whereas if the owlet is on its side this might be more of a concern. I would suggest watching the owl for a short while to see if it corrects its sitting position before intervening and if you do be very careful not to cause any harm.
Step 3 – Check the owl is ok.
Picking up an owlet can be fairly simple if the owlet doesn’t struggle and is fairly small, this can often be done with one hand but make sure you don’t apply much pressure since babies can be delicate. If the owlet is larger than your fist then you might need two people to help and definitely two hands. Do not drop the owlet once you have picked them up through fear of harm, their beaks may look sharp but they are very unlikely to cause harm just be more careful of their talons as the feet are the real sharp part of an owl. I would suggest wearing some form of leather gloves but make sure that you can move your fingers well so that you do not risk dropping the owl through lack of grip. You should have a look at the owls stomach by laying the owl against the palm of your hand and then lightly check the owlets breastbone to check if anything feels uneven or odd. This will help you feel for any kind of damage and if the owlet is underfed this should be obvious by how fleshy, or lack of, the owlet feels. Next check the owls temperature, does it feel warm or cold to touch? Next check the wings and see if you can open the wings carefully to see if there is any injury. If you are struggling to check the owlet and are worried about doing it properly I would suggest waiting for someone more confident and qualified to do the checks as we do not want the owlet to be harmed in any way.
Step 4 – Making a decision.
If the stomach felt full, there was no obvious injury, the owl seemed able to move without any problems, the face seems clear with no obvious injuries and the eyes are clear then the owl is probably fine and if possible should be left in the wild. If you did find any issues or concerns with the health of the owlet then you should organise a vet visit for the owlet or get in touch with an experienced wildlife rehabilitator if possible. Ensure to feed the owl if they are underfed (as long as they have been warmed up first) as soon as you can and if they do not eat then tube feeding may be needed by an expert handler.
Step 5 – If you do intervene, make plans to return the owl the same day.
It is advised not to keep the owl overnight unless you absolutely feel this is the best thing to do for the owl. If you have taken the owl home to feed because it is clear starving and struggling, ensure that once you have attended to this need you return the owl before dusk. If the owl is on the ground in an area where they are easy pray for predators such as a busy path full of dog walkers that may have dogs that find the owlet before the owners are alerted of it, then it may be best to move this owl to a safer area. Just ensure you don’t take the owl too far as the parent owls territory may be small and you want to leave the best chance of them finding their owlet to feed them. Do not worry about putting the owlet in a shelter because the parents need to find their young by seeing them and hearing them, unless the weather is extreme and could cause death, avoid hiding the owlet too much. Please keep in mind that it is an offence to keep a wild bird unless you are providing some kind of rehabilitation before returning it to the wild as soon as possible or passing them onto a proper wildlife rehabilitator. Owlets can be returned to the nest area after 24 hours if you feel they are fine after a day of being looked after but their likelihood to be found by their parents is reduced. If the parents came back to feed the owlet and it was missing this means the pattern of feeding has been broken and therefore the parents are unlikely to resume bringing food back. It is best to always hand the owlet to an experienced wildlife rehabilitator if it has been close to or over 24 hours. If you did decide to bring the owl home for a few hours, ensure it is not kept in a noisy environment, avoid any television noise or music while you have the owlet in your care. Often owlets will die from shock rather than injury so keep stress levels to a minimum.
To feed the owlet first ensure that the owl is warm and the stomach does not feel solid. It is said to never feed a cold owlet. If the stomach is solid there may be a problem so avoid feeding until you know why. Likewise it may have already eaten and therefore its best to not intervene as the parents will most likely return and feed the owlet again soon. If the stomach feels empty but the owl feels strong and has clearly produce a pellet/dropping nearby then don’t worry too much about feeding it, it will have been fed recently most likely since it is strong and has excreted and therefore is probably not at risk of long-term starvation. If the owlet seems thin and weak then the owlet may not have eaten recently so feeding the owlet may be a good idea. It’s ok to use raw poultry if that is all you have but avoid any other kinds of meat, ideally you can feed the owlet dead mice or poultry chicks (available at pet shops). Avoid cooked meats, canned pet foods or any non-meat food unless advised by a vet. Feed the owlet smaller pieces and do not force any food down the owlet if they refuse to eat, leave this to wildlife professionals.
Step 6 – Monitor the owl.
You may wish to return the following day to check on the owlet if you have left it where you found it or recently returned it. If you find that the owlet is still there in the same spot, you might want to check it again for any differences over night. If the owlet seems fine still health wise and has any type of food item nearby or a pellet then you can assume the owlets parents have since returned and this is great news! In most cases the owlet will be gone for whatever reason and this is fine, it is best to just accept this as normal and not necessarily bad. Unless you really must intervene again and the owl is not in a life threatening condition then you must leave the owlet in the wild, you can always bring it food and keep hand feeding it where it is.
Please remember if you decide to provide some kind of container for the owlet for its safety then this is fine but please ensure you follow the below rules:
- Do not place the owlet anywhere high where it can fall from the container.
- Keep the container in the nearby area, do not move from where the owlet was found if possible as the area for the parents to find the owlet is fairly small.
- Do not allow the container to have high sides so it cannot leave if it must, the owl must always be allowed full control to leave the container if they choose. Also avoid smooth surfaces so the owlet cannot grip effectively.
- Do not allow the container to have a roof, it may be tempting since it can hide from bad weather but the parents need to be able to see/hear the owlet for the best chance of survival and reunions.
- Do not use a container that will just fill with water if it rains, owls are not waterproof therefore this will freeze the owlet to death, likewise heavy rainfall may lead to drowning for very young chicks that cannot leave.
- Put the container out of sight from humans if possible, you do not want to draw attention for other people to intervene with the owlet.
- Always remove the container once the owlet is no longer using it so as to not litter the natural environment.
Conclusion:
To conclude I must repeat the fact that it is an offence to keep a wild bird unless you are providing some kind of rehabilitation before returning to the wild as soon as possible or passing them onto a proper wildlife rehabilitator.