20170518-Eastern Screech Owl

I received a call from the rescue coordinator stating that we had an owl down on the ground in Decatur, IN.  I arrived at the property and upon reaching the front door; I noticed a box that contained a baby screech owl surrounded by comfy towels. In speaking with the homeowner, she indicated that the owl had been standing on the concrete pad of their driveway for several hours and she did not observe any parent coming to the aid of the baby.  She had to leave to attend a funeral showing and while there, she shared her story with a friend who suggested she contact the local sheriff.  She did just that and they told her to contact Soarin’ Hawk and provided her with the phone number.  Many thanks go out to our partners who continue to provide our information to the public so that the raptors can receive the care necessary for their survival. A quick field assessment showed no obvious injuries.  It was very warm out so I tried to supply some water but the baby was not interested.  It has been extremely windy the past several days so more than likely this little one was blown from their nest.  We did walk around the property and could not find any obvious cavity from which it might have fallen from.  At this point, I gathered the necessary information for the rescue card and placed the baby in a transport box and headed back to Fort Wayne, where I was met by another volunteer who transported the baby to Dr. Funnell at Pine Valley Veterinary Clinic for assessment. 06/06/2017 After a couple of weeks of learning to tear up whole food on it's own, this baby screech was finally transferred from home day care to the flight pens so he can stretch his wings and prepare for his release in about 3 months.  Between now and then, we will make sure he is able to hunt for his own food by putting live mice in the pens with him. 07/20/2017 This orphaned screech owl is doing great!  It shares a pen with a few more orphaned screeches.  They will all catch live prey before they are released late summer.