Owls fur to feathers

Last week our owlets were still covered in white fluff, over the weekend they have transformed themselves.  Hansel looks every inch a proper owl, he has beautiful feathers.  Gretel still has a bit of fluff but we think she is two weeks younger than him.  They are both doing well and can feed themselves although they do like to be hand fed as well.

We’ve moved them out of their nursery cage into bigger quarters and they love it.  Their wing span is massive and they’ve been trying out their flying skills.  Neither can manage more than a short distance as yet.   Perhaps in the wild they would have been flying sooner, Hansel at least.   Learning to fly is a critical time for them in the wild.   Owl mortality is very high with only a small percentage of chicks living to adulthood.   In captivity it’s different, the owlets are safe from predators and there’s always food.

Gretel is two weeks younger and  still has some fluff!