Cornell University - 03312016 Barred Owl

This little male barred owl came to us very alert, but thin.  His right humerus was obviously broken.  In the photograph you can see the green tape that is holding his wing to his body to keep the fracture stable.  Yes, it is masking tape!  Regular white bandage tape sticks too well and pulls feathers out when the tape is removed. But masking tape has just enough stickiness to stick to the feathers but not so much that it pulls the feathers out when we remove the tape. Unfortunately radiographs revealed a dislocated elbow as well as a fracture of the humerus right at the elbow. He will not be able to be returned to the wild. This makes the third barred owl we currently have in rehab that is not releasable.