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From Dennis Glennon

Another fun photo of the burrowing owls. A very funny series. I love the expression of the one on the left. Life can be a balancing act :)

From Dr Abhijit Bagui

Oriental scops owl

Nikon D 500,200-500

F7.1,1/640s,iso 350,750mm, natural light

Sundarban, India

From Lisa Lawrence

Barred owl fledgling

Photo taken in 2025 in Oregon.

Photo is a Barred owlet that had fledged from his/her nest several days prior.

When I first started taking photo of this young owl earlier in the day, it was just standing on a branch After an hour or so, the Owl, laid down on the branch and eventually tried to take a nap. The owlet is about 4 -5 weeks old.. it will not be able to fly until it's about 10 weeks old. Barred owls mate for life. Parents care for the young for at least four months, longer than most other owls.

The oldest recorded Barred Owl was at least 26 years, 7 months old.

From Annie Laughlin

Male barred owl perched with the clear lake right behind him. Perfect night!

I worked our open house this weekend, and it sounded like it may have been our busiest weekend ever, with over 2000 guests getting to see our facilities and the work we do. Between tickets, raffles, shirt and toy sales, and general donations, we raised a nice amount to help fund our work. As far as I know, all rescues around the world are funded purely by donations like these.

It was great seeing so many people from all the other shifts. We had to do a good chunk of the day's work in the 2 hours before the event started. I fed the meat eaters (opossums, raptors) and cleaned the outdoor pens. We did get a new Screech Owl, but it was very shy and wouldn't come out of its cardboard box, so we just stuck meat bits into the hole of the box until it took them. I'm sure I'll see it eventually.

I didn't want to deal with the parents/kids, so I took driveway duty. The driveway is just one lane, and with shuttles, people wandering, and people dropping off animals, it was too hectic, so this year we had just about everyone park down the road in the church parking lot and that the shuttles. Basically, I watched for cars stopping, kept them away from the driveway, sent most of them down the road, or sent them to different parking areas if they were bringing things in.

Special note: If you find an animal and intend to help it, you probably want to call your rescue first!

We had a guy try to bring us a deer. The state does not allow us to take deer, and this deer should not have been moved to begin with. This, naturally, all made him unhappy. I did see a game commission truck later so I didn't know if they had a table there or if they picked up the deer.

I heard yesterday people brought in ducks. Our website is plastered with very intrusive popups saying do not bring in any waterfowl due to bird flu. The state wants to handle that on their own at this time and we can't accept them and I think we can get in serious trouble if we're caught with them there.

People wanted to bring in raccoons, but we're at max capacity with them and couldn't accept them.

We do a lot, but we're not allowed to accept every species, and we only have facilities for so many. If you call, we can either tell you to not move the animal to begin with, if you should bring it in, how not to kill it bringing it in, or we can put you in touch with people that may be able to accept it or transport it if you can't. We provide a lot of services, but we can't do it all, but we'll help the best we can.

I got to visit a few animals on my breaks, and I'll share some animal reports in the comments. I don't always get to see them or see them so close during my work.

From Latika Das

Very difficult species to find in the open..... also the smallest owl of Asia and a fierce predator - ** Collared Owlet ** (Taenioptynx brodiei)

From Phil Nind

I've been very lucky these last few months and had the opportunity to see and photograph 3 different local barn owls. They frequently make an appearance at a local meadow which is only 10 minutes walk from my home.

I've been out to see them on 6 occasions and they really have been a joy to photograph.

This is one of my favourite shots from those visits.

From Operation Wildlife

Our cupboards are becoming bare! We are rehabbing over 350+ animals at this time and doing over 1,000 feedings a day.

We are in desperate need of dehydrated mealworms, Pinesol, medium and large exam gloves, blue painters tape, live earthworms & red wrigglers, 1" masking tape, canned caterpillars, unsweetened applesauce, Gerber baby rice cereal, blue ink pens, kleenex, toilet paper, antibacterial hand soap.

Here is the link

Our critters send their love and thank you in advance!!

Sharing this one, not necessarily for you to give to these guys, but to give you an idea of what your local shelter may be in need of!

Time and money are the most helpful overall things you can give as they can be put to near unlimited uses, but if you feel better donating supplies, there is always something we need to care for, and especially clean up after, all these animals.

Find your local rescue and do what you can to benefit the animals where you are!

None of them get tax money, it's all from donations from individuals or businesses. I'll be working out open house all Sunday, and it's one of our biggest fundraising opportunities and a rare chance for the public to see our operation and all the good we do.

From Center for Wildlife

This barred owlet was admitted after being found on the ground as a very young nestling on May 5th. Far too young to be fledgling from the nest, we usually clear owlets from any injuries and attempt to renest with their parents if ever possible. However the exact nest site is unknown and it has been raining for over a week. Without the cover of the nest and mom's incubation, owlets are vulnerable to predators and also freezing.

Our clinic team did a full exam and fluid therapy to help with mild dehydration. She was also given a fecal to test for parasites which came up negative. Beyond medical treatment, proper nutrition and husbandry, young raptors must be raised with adults or at a minimum young of their species. Why? Because they imprint on who they are with in their critical developmental stages, and if it is not their species studies show they cannot successfully communicate, defend territory, mate, raise young, etc. As adorable as they are, if we raise wildlife to imprint on humans we essentially take away their wild lives.

This owlet has been moved to an outdoor enclosure with an adult barred owl patient. There, she is learning who she is, how to hide from predators (humans dropping off food in the enclosure), and she will also find her voice by listening to the calls of her foster mom, our barred owl ambassadors, and the wild barred owls in the forest on our campus. Once she is old enough, we will work to get her back to her family.

From Robert Fuller

The rescue tawny owl chicks like it at Fotherdale. They're waiting to meet their new foster parents Luna and Bomber! I don't think it'll be long before they are back out in the big wide world.

Much more of the Tawnies here.

From Wildlife Learning Center

It is with shattered hearts that we share the passing of Zeus, our beloved Western screech owl, who touched the hearts of people from literally around the world. Though blind, Zeus adapted remarkably well to his disability and had a calm, gentle presence that left a lasting impression on everyone who met him.

Zeus came to live at Wildlife Learning Center 15 years ago after being found on someone's doorstep. He was treated at a wildlife rehabilitation center, where it was determined that he was blind due to trauma-perhaps he had flown into a window. We will never know for certain what happened to Zeus; all we know is that he was found helpless, unable to navigate the world on his own, and would require human care for the remainder of his life.

His distinctive eyes, which appeared to hold a galaxy or stars, captivated everyone he met, from visitors at Wildlife Learning Center to his social media fame from around the world. His eyes told the story of a tiny owl with a vast spirit, sparking curiosity and awe. Zeus was more than an ambassador for wildlife; he inspired a connection with nature that reached far and wide.

Under our care, Zeus was monitored closely, including weekly weighing to track his health. Despite eating well, Zeus began to lose weight. Blood tests showed no abnormalities, so a CAT scan was performed, revealing a large, and sadly, inoperable kidney tumor. There was nothing that could be done to save his life, so we ensured he was comfortable until it was time to say goodbye.

Zeus will always be remembered for his unique way of connecting with people and for the fascination he brought to so many. His memory will live on in our hearts and in the countless lives he touched. We will continue to honor him by sharing his story and helping other animals like him.

The world feels a little less bright without our treasured Zeus.

I know we've talked about Zeus here before, he had been Internet famous for a long time, after all. I first brought him up in a discussion about Burrowing Owls with a similar looking, but different, condition.

He was also shared by @ickplant@lemmy.world about a month ago, and I was happy to learn he was still alive then. (Post link here)

But sadly, he is now no longer with us. I am glad he got to enjoy a long and loving life for an owl with a serious medical condition. I'm so glad he was found and cared for.

Rest in peace, little buddy. The world doesn't get too many famous owls, but you certainly were one! ❤️🦉✨

From Sun Journal

By Sara Wright

My relationship with barred owls began when I built my little cabin in 2002. That first winter a pair hunted from the branches of two large pines situated close to the living room windows. These are large and very beautiful owls with dark luminescent eyes, striped mole and cream feathers and a wingspan up to 50 inches.

I watched for them at dusk, and occasionally witnessed a strike, but most of the time the two peered in at me or just sat there in wait until it got too dark. Of course, with asymmetrical ears that can triangulate exact locations of prey, most meals probably arrived at night. If snow had fallen, I looked for wing prints the following morning though I knew if I saw a pair some creature had lost its life. I reminded myself that owls need to eat too.

As early as December, I would begin to hear barred owl songs. The signature call that most people translate as ‘who cooks for you’ doesn’t work for me. I heard musical trills instead. The pair, they mate for life, frequently vocalized at dusk during the following two months. Their conversation seemed so nuanced and complex. After courting in March or April I heard what I believed to be the territorial hooting call that always seemed louder and more distinct to me.

The parents are excellent caregivers. While the female incubates her 2-3 eggs for a month, the male feeds her. After birth papa brings food for the family until the female can join him hunting. Owlets grow fast and occasionally one will fall out of the nest. Although I never witnessed the sight, some owlets can climb up and down a tree using their beaks and talons! If a chick remains on the ground, one of the parents continues to feed the baby bird until it can fly away.

During the late spring and summer months, I heard owlets call from some hidden branch to let the parent know just where to bring the food! Barred owls eat small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. The family stays together through autumn, but even after dispersal the young search for territories nearby.

In late spring/early summer it was also common to hear these owls being mobbed by crows and bluejays, and I often followed the cacophony sometimes intercepting the intruders, but most often I witnessed an unhappy owl desperately trying to escape harassment by flying into other heavily protected evergreens. These owls are not aggressive at all – even when they are provoked.

I knew they preferred to nest in old hollow trees or take over corvid,/raptor/squirrel nests, but I never found one. Once I witnessed an owlet perched on an inner hemlock branch. One parent stood watch – two marbled statues. I looked up, riveted by the sight. The fierce and common Great horned owl is their major predator, so it doesn’t surprise me that these birds freeze when observed or hide out as close to the center of a tree as possible to remain invisible.

Barred owls return to the same nesting sites each year. This tendency coincides with research that suggests that they are tied to place. However, in virtually all the literature I have perused these owls prefer ‘old mature forests’ which I most definitely never had but the mountain behind me was probably their sanctuary. Although my woods are composed of the habitat these owls prefer – swamps brook etc. mixed hardwoods and conifers, my land was cut a few years before I moved here.

Time passed. The forests were heavily logged around me (not by the old loggers who were attached to their trees and logged with care) and the pair that lived here disappeared. I did continue to see one roosting in a large hemlock stand on a nearby logging road. When those trees were stripped away, I stopped seeing or hearing barred owls at all.

Then two years ago, I was suddenly serenaded by barred owls one December dusk. I couldn’t believe it. That winter, I heard them calling across the brook. My woods were thriving, the trees had grown, the canopy of evergreens provided good cover, but have a lifetime or two to become ‘mature,’ and besides I own only a fragment, supposedly not enough territory to support barred owls who no longer have stretches of uninterrupted forest to protect them.

For whatever reason, a pair raised a family here last year just as they used to many years ago. If this winter and spring are any indication this same couple may also be raising a family as I write. In the beginning of March, I stood outside for at least 15 minutes around dusk on and off for a week or two to listen to extended muted conversation between one pair. Courting songs.

Then all went quiet for about a month, and now towards the end of April, I sometimes hear a barred owl call during the day with the repetitive territorial call loudest around dusk. Last night owl hooted for over an hour. It was cloudy and still, so I walked down to the swamp and was able to pin-point the location by ear. Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

I wonder if the barred owls that are left are returning to familiar forest fragments that were once a part of larger territories. Privately held patches of land like mine that have been left under nature’s direction and care may have become the only places left that are safe enough for these owls to breed. If my experience is any indication they also may be adapting to smaller territories.

Up until recently, barred owls inhabited portions of the Northeast. But recently their range has extended into the Northwestern part of the United States, and the ‘bird police’ have condemned the intruders as invasive.

The US Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Service and Cornell’s Ornithology Department have determined that the Northwestern expansion of the Barred Owl is threatening the habitat of the its cousin, the spotted owl. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the American Bird Conservancy, the Center for Biological Diversity, and some Audubon chapters are also on board with the following decision, which has already been implemented, as of 2025.

Finalized in August 2024, the Barred Owl Management Strategy is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s long-term plan to ‘protect’ native spotted owls in Washington, Oregon and California from the invasive barred owl species. According to these ‘experts,’ barred owls displace spotted owls, disrupt their nesting, compete for food and in some cases, interbreed with their cousins or kill them.

Ironically, interbreeding means that barred owls and their cousins carry some elements of the same genetic code. Even if the spotted owl disappears when the time is right, the species could return, perhaps in the same or a different form.

The ‘Barred Owl Management Strategy’ permits the lethal removal of barred owls by attracting the owls with recorded calls and then shooting them when they respond and approach. In areas where firearms are not allowed, barred owls can be captured and euthanized by other means.

In all, almost 500, 000 – half a million – barred owls will be killed over the next thirty years because it has been determined by all these organizations that barred owls are disrupting the ecosystem. No one mentions loss of eastern habitat as a reason the barred owls are seeking refuge in the Northwest.

Maine is supposed to be the most heavily forested state, but no one talks about the size of the trees.

The Maine Forest Service’s most recent survey found that only 7.2 percent of trees are in the thirteen to 21-inch diameter, and only 0.5 percent are larger than 21 inches in diameter.

Another way of saying the same thing is to state that ninety plus percent of our forests are full of trees less than a foot in diameter.

We have less than 4 percent of what we now call late successional and old growth(?) forest left in the state. But even more important is that overall, the structural and species biodiversity of our forests is being lost. ‘Mature’ forests are more common (or were up until this point) in the Northwest than in the east.

I don’t believe these owls are invasive. I think barred owls are moving west because they have been forced to by habitat destruction directly caused by humans.

Instead of allowing nature who has been orchestrating life on this planet for 3.7 billion years or more to make the decisions about who lives and who dies when, humans, the youngest species on the planet, believe we have all the answers.

Unlike the common great horned owl, a top predator who seems to be thriving throughout the country, barred owls have a niche that requires trees that provide good canopy cover and swampy areas close to water. These owls are reclusive and cannot breed in the hardwood sticks that are overtaking the mountains of Maine (or future tree plantations that will be cut down as children/adolescents in ‘tree time’).

Animals know. Barred owls are migrating to the Northwest where larger stands of forests still exist because they are trying to survive.