From Will Huff
Life is a balancing act for a burrowing owl!
this post was submitted on 07 May 2025
104 points (99.1% liked)
Superbowl
4162 readers
458 users here now
For owls that are superb.
US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com
Australia Rescue Help: WIRES
Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org
If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Hang on a tick! I was told that owls can directly control their talons, and can only grasp by collapsing their legs and only release by extending them. How is this one grasping with extended legs??
So, Owls do have the ability to lock off their talons so that they're not constantly having to grip things. The tendons for their talons are whonky and have bumpy-things that match with groves in a rigid sheath; which works like a ratchet.
You know those telescoping tubes that lock into place because one side has a spring-loaded button or post, and the other has a pipe? kinda the same thing. The tendon itself runs up their legs to their leg muscles, and it's relaxed/released by extending their legs.
Here is a video that goes into some detail on it. It's talking about falcons, but owls have the same kinds of talons, and they do talk about eagle owls.
Oh, I'm glad I saw this when I came to read sxan's reply! I quick watched the explanation in the beginning and the owl part, but I'm going to watch the full thing when I get a chance. He seemed to have a ton of great info, and I like getting to see the differences between the various types of raptors. Awesome find!
"with most birds you're worried about getting bitten. yeah. No. they can do that, but, check out these [brutal efficient killing machines]!"