this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2025
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For owls that are superb.

Also visit our twinned community for wholesome content: !wholesome@reddthat.com

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.

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From South African Wildlife Rehab Center

It's not often we receive these White face owlets as tiny babies.. Fledglings arrive fairly often, but these itty bitty bundles of fluff (or in this case, "pre-fluff") are rare treasures.

This little character was taken in by Leanne Hezlett after being found and (very kindly but mistakenly) fed mince. Now, mince may fill the belly, but it's missing the critical ingredients... calcium and other nutrients needed to build bones, organs, and the all important owl swagger.

Once in Leanne's care, the owlet was immediately upgraded to a proper five star "owl menu"... one packed with everything her growing body needs. Over the next few weeks, this slightly scruffy baby will morph into a sleek, strong, beautiful night hunter. (In fact, give it a week and it'll be trading its "punk rock chick" look for the classic fluffball cute everyone expects from baby owls).

From there, it's just a matter of time before she is out in the wild, practicing pounces, and proving that those oversized talons really do mean business.

The Owl Rescue Centre has now taken over care of this tiny tot (plus another older White Faced Owlet fledgling). Over the coming weeks, they will ensure both get the best release site, support food, and a fair shot at ruling the night skies as the fierce little predators they were born to be.

Huge thanks once again to Owl Rescue Centre for collecting from us and for making sure even the scruffiest of beginnings can grow into the fluffiest, fiercest of futures.

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[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How many were surprised to see the bird in the thumbnail grows up into the beloved White Faced Owl? 😄

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I guessed great grey but WFS totally acceptable.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Not a bad guess! Yellow beaks on the GG though.

I wouldn't have been able to guess it. Who knew these guys get such a glow up?!

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago
[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago
[–] its_prolly_fine@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

His beak looks like a bird skull. Cool

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Owls have really fun looking beaks. I always like when the photo lets you see that bird face.

The nostrils are called nares on birds. Owls have round ones, but other types of birds can have either round, oval, or linear openings.

The fleshy bit the nares go through is called the cere. Its function isn't totally understood, but most think it's got some function related to smell. Some species also have a cere that can become a different color depending on certain hormones. This can give a visual indication of what sex a bird is. No such luck for owls though.

[–] You@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Some species also have a cere that can become a different color depending on certain hormones. This can give a visual indication of what sex a bird is.

Prime example for this are budgies. Usually it's possible to tell male and female budgies apart (though there's a lot of false info for pet budgies around). The cere can also clue you in on a budgie's maturity and especially on a female's hormonal status. A broody hen will develop a brownish and crusty cere.

And because the cere colour depends on hormones it can also indicate health problems.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

The budgie was exactly my reference! I remembered we had some budgie people here, but you showed up even faster than I expected. 😀

It's amazing how much info you can get from them just from that tiny bit of skin.

[–] Binturong@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Such enormous "I'm tired, boss..." energy from such a new lil' guy!

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

I used to think hatching was a quick thing like on tv, but reading and watching some things, it's often an intense physical marathon kinda thing for a newborn that can take up to 24 hours and there's a number of potential fatal pitfalls!

Here's an old post with a video if you want to see more.