Injured barn owl brought in

We’ve had an injured barn owl brought in, he’s a youngster, looks like one of this year’s chicks, a late hatching perhaps as he’s quite small for the time of year.  He can’t walk or fly but whether that is an actual injury (there’s no wound that we can see) or just that he is weak from hunger.  He feels very light and thin.  Just one day and night without food is enough to cause a young owl to give up.  There isn’t a lot of natural food around at this time of year.  We are still feeding the Little Owl we released earlier in the year and are very happy to be doing so.  We put chicks out for him on the stable roof – if we can get him through to the Spring he will be alright, there will be more mice and voles around and he will find his own dinner.

This young barn owl is being kept warm and being hand fed.  We wrap him in a fleece, open his beak and pop a morsel of chick down.  At first he protested but it’s life or death.   After a couple of sessions he took the meat more easily.  If he  survives the night……if he can stand and take food for himself tomorrow…….it’s all in the balance at this stage.

Aren’t owls stunningly beautiful?