Little owl has miracle escape

It was a miracle escape for this little owl who was brought in this morning after being discovered under the bonnet of a car.  The owner had driven several miles and when she returned home heard a scratching noise from the front of her car.  When she lifted the bonnet up there was this little chap clinging on and wondering what on earth was happening. Young owls are adept at climbing and we think he must have left the nest and been exploring, mistaking the inside of a car for a den maybe.

He’s a Little Owl and much smaller than our Tawny Owl (Ozzie).  This species is on the decline in the U.K. and they are becoming rare.  We used to  have lots round here but now there are none.  He’s still a baby but almost fully feathered and making a good attempt to fly.  Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can release him but first have to feed him up and let him recover from his ordeal.  The gentleman who brought him in has already named him Perjo (Peugeot!) – after the car he took refuge in!