[Bristol-Birds] Injured red morph Screech Owl

From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: 1-A Bristol-Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:44:52 -0400
Monday night I went to a former TWRA officer's home and picked up an injured
Screech Owl.  It was a red morph.  The officer had it brought to his home
from Johnson City where it had been reportedly found down and being pecked
at by crows.  It was said to have been rescued by two Mexican boys and given
to a man in Johnson City who was going to care for it.

The bird was leaning pretty badly and had an eye closed, indications of a
concusion from some type of blow to the head or by hitting an object while
flying.

Early Tuesday it appeared to have better balance but still looked a little
shocked  but it was more fiesty and active.  In making plans to take it to
the Bays Mountain Raptor Center,  I decided to better determine its conditon.

I put it out on my lawn to see if it could stand and was alert enough to be
placed on a very low limb that might indicate if it had any balance.

The bird opened both eyes and stared at me for about two or three minutes.
It looked out in my woods.  Then it took flight.  It flew about 200 feet off
into the woods and upwards into a tall tree and make a perfect landing on a
small limb to perch.  Was I pleased !

It appeared the bird was going to fall over and not have any ability to grip
a limb for perching.  Flight seemed out of the question.  I had not taken
any measurements or weighed the bird and had not banded it as planned.  It
didn't look like it was going anywhere.

I don't know how long this bird had been in captivity but I was thinking it
might take two or three nights and days of rest for it to recovery from the
apparent concusion.  One good, quiet, night of rest in a covered container
did the trick.

I now have an unmarked red morph owl somewhere in my neighborhood.  Since
the reds are about 5:1 in ratio to grey morphs in these parts,  I will never
know it if I see it again.  Oh. well...

Let's go birding.....

Wallace Coffey
Bristol



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[Bristol-Birds] Injured red morph Screech Owl

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