Kip’s Comments - September 6, 2022

Thank You Good Samaritan 

Last night, as I was thinking about calling it a day and heading off to bed, I received a call from dispatch regarding an injured owl down along the edge of a highway. Help was needed to capture the bird and get it to a wildlife rehabber. I was able to assist and was on the road shortly.   

Once at the injured bird site I was met by the Good Samaritan who found the bird and was willing to help capture it. A person might expect that an owl that had been involved in a collision with a vehicle would be calm or maybe even lethargic. Not so for this bird. Spunky better describes the attitude of this Great Horned Owl. The fellow who reported the downed bird and I had our hands full to capture the owl. Clicking of the beak and hissing came from the bird as it clumsily moved away from us in a ditch. Eventually we had it safely housed in a pet taxi for transport to a rehabber.   

Whether or not this owl is able to recover will be determined by the extent of its injuries. A bad break in the wrong spot will require euthanasia. A mild injury may require only the expert care of a rehabber. Time will tell on this one. 

Many thanks to the Good Samaritan motorist for reporting this injured bird. Thanks for caring for this owl Linda at Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project!