[wisb] Baby Barred Owl Iowa County

  • From: "Meredith" <net.notes@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Wisbirdn" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, " Mary S" <msmith112@xxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 09:30:25 -0500

Hi all,
We had a baby Barred Owl venture into our backyard Thursday evening. I could
hear it calling but until it was dark I didn't realize how close it had
gotten. It was sitting on a stump right on the edge of our woods, about 30
feet from the house. Still pretty fuzzy but it was getting some flight
feathers on its wingtips. 
We knew we had babies not too far into the woods. We've been hearing them
calling for quite a while and sometime in the last two weeks they must have
left the nest. We'd hear them through the night from two different spots out
in the woods. So assuming there are at least two of them.
Friday morning my husband spotted our Thursday night visitor trying to climb
a tree using it's talons and some assistance by fluttering it's wings.
Apparently it still couldn't fly. By the time I went out it had disappeared.
Later in the afternoon we saw it sitting on a branch about 6 feet above the
ground just into the woods. I got some pictures without venturing too close.
It seemed totally at ease, not distressed over its plight, occasionally
squeaking for food. It disappeared again after an hour or so not to be seen
again. Last night I heard at least one of the young calling and the parents
responding. Sounded like it was quite deep into the woods now. 
Does anyone know how long after the owlets leave the nest or after their
wingtip feathers appear that they begin to fly? Is it common for them to
move around so much on foot so to speak? I can only imagine how high the
mortality rate must be with them in such easy reach of coyotes. 
Thanks for any info,
Meredith Daggett
Mineral Point, WI 

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