Ojai Raptor Center – Owls in Towels https://owlsintowels.org/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:34:48 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://owlsintowels.org/content/media/tBNh7to.png Ojai Raptor Center – Owls in Towels https://owlsintowels.org/ 32 32 Expression After Hit By Car https://owlsintowels.org/expression-after-hit-by-car/ https://owlsintowels.org/expression-after-hit-by-car/#respond Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4698 This Great Horned Owl is big mad. Plumicorns? Up. Brow? Furrowed. Pupils? The size of dinner plates. He is half-wrapped in a cream blanket, which, combined with thick leathery gloves on his torso means the rehabilitator (behind in a light-blue polymer medical gown) is partially protected from the owl's wrath. It cannot be overstated how angry the owl looks.

Original post – 11 Oct 2024
by Ojai Raptor Center

located in Oak View, California, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

It’s hard to believe, but the unfortunate predicament that Great Horned Owl patient 24-680 found itself in is not as rare as one might think. This owl was rescued after becoming lodged in the grill of a vehicle. Remarkably, we receive about one of these cases a year, and many of the raptors we’ve treated have survived this traumatic ordeal. Despite the severity of the accident, 24-680 is expected to make a full recovery, even after suffering a broken fibula.

Link to donate to Ojai Raptor Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/expression-after-hit-by-car/feed/ 0 Three Surgeries Later https://owlsintowels.org/three-surgeries-later/ https://owlsintowels.org/three-surgeries-later/#respond Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=3885 A bright-eyed BUOW, or Burrowing Owl if you're not into the whole brevity thing, is wrapped in a baby blue fabric, held in the thick-gloved hand of a rehabilitator. The owl's eyes are lemon yellow, and his/her plumage is white across the eyebrows and chin, and tan to dark brown everywhere else, featuring light speckles across the forehead. The wrap forms a high upturned collar like Dracula. Dracowla? Draculowl? We'll keep working on that.

Original post – 19 Nov 2020
by Ojai Raptor Center

located in Oak View, California, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

Burrowing Owls are listed as a species of special concern in California and endangered in other parts of their range. Their decline is mostly due to loss of habitat but pesticides (both insecticides and rodenticides) are also to blame. The use of these poisons not only decimate a large portion of insects that these owls rely on for food, but rodenticides also reduce the number of natural excavators that create the ground burrows they nest in, like ground squirrels.

Burrowing Owls are known as partial migrants here in California and will move about the State to their breeding grounds where they nest in colonies. ORC typically receives just a few Burrowing Owl patients a year during these migrations, but some years we’ve received only one or none at all. We have seen an increase of annual intakes over the past 3 years and this Fall we’ve received 4 since September! While sadly not all of them made it, we hope this is a good sign for the species as conservation efforts are underway.

The patient pictured has undergone 3 surgeries to repair extensive damage to the soft tissue of the left wing after the owl was entangled in barbed wire. Luckily his/her prognosis is looking good for recovery and release!


Patient Update: Burrowing Owl vs. Barbs

This Burrowing Owl (BUOW) that was admitted for barbed wire injuries is now all healed up after weeks of treatment!


Link to donate to Ojai Raptor Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Athene cuniculariaBurrowing OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/three-surgeries-later/feed/ 0 Burrowing Owl vs. Barbs https://owlsintowels.org/burrowing-owl-vs-barbs/ https://owlsintowels.org/burrowing-owl-vs-barbs/#respond Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=2124 Close up of a Burrowing Owl wrapped in a pale pink towel with a folded edge at the collar. The owl wears it like a cloak, but back to front. He/she has yellow eyes, a pale olive beak, and tabby cat patterning of grey, brown, black and white feathers. There's brown spots along the forehead and thin black bristles under the beak, which look like hairs but are really a type of feather. Then again, it's all keratin proteins at the micro level. However you define it, having a few wayward chin hairs is pretty relatable.

15th of Owltober!

Originally posted 11 Dec 2020
by Ojai Raptor Center

located in Oak View, California, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

This Burrowing Owl (BUOW) that was admitted for barbed wire injuries is now all healed up after weeks of treatment! This past month, we received a few other patients that were also injured by barbed wire, and sadly, most of them were not as lucky as this BUOW. On Sunday, we moved him/her into an outdoor enclosure where he/she can move and fly around freely. We have high hopes that this owl will be able to be released back into the wild after being given more outdoor flight time!

The owl in the flight enclosure, on the ground. He/she looks up at the camera, wings outstretched and pupils wide. Sans towel we can now see the rest of his/her plumage: white spots on brown feathers.

Link to donate to Ojai Raptor Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Athene cuniculariaBurrowing OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/burrowing-owl-vs-barbs/feed/ 0 Tips to Avoid Window Collisions https://owlsintowels.org/tips-to-avoid-window-collisions/ https://owlsintowels.org/tips-to-avoid-window-collisions/#respond Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=2046 A rehabilitator wears light blue disposable coveralls and blue nitrile gloves while holding a Great Horned Owl to their chest. One hand is around the owl's abdomen, the other the owl's legs. The owl is wrapped in what appears to be a pillowcase or other similar textile item. His/her eyes are lemon yellow, staring intently at the camera. This is a photogenic owl. Most owls are photogenic, but this one especially so.

Original post – 09 Feb 2025
by Ojai Raptor Center

located in Oak View, California, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

🦉 Patient Spotlight: Great Horned Owl 25-34 🦉

This majestic Great Horned Owl was brought to Ojai Raptor Center after colliding with a building window—an all-too-common hazard for birds navigating our human-built environments. The owl suffered head trauma, feather damage, and a serious wound on its right wing that required surgical closure. Thanks to our dedicated team, this owl is recovering well and has a hopeful prognosis for release back into the wild!

Glass collisions are one of the leading causes of bird mortality in the U.S., killing an estimated 365 million to 1 billion birds annually. Despite their size and strength, owls like the Great Horned Owl are particularly vulnerable. Their silent flight and laser focus while hunting at night make it difficult to detect glass surfaces, especially when reflections mimic open skies or wooded areas. As they swoop low in pursuit of prey or move between perches, shiny windows and glass buildings become invisible threats.

Great Horned Owls are powerful, skilled hunters, but even they can’t outmaneuver obstacles they can’t see. When collisions happen, the injuries can be severe—ranging from concussions and internal bleeding to fractured wings and damaged eyes. Without immediate care, many owls can’t survive in the wild, even if they appear to fly off after impact.

How You Can Help Protect Birds:

✨ Create patterns on reflective glass

✨ Install external insect screens on windows to cushion impacts.

✨ Turn off unnecessary lights at night

✨ Move interior plants away from windows to reduce visual confusion.

✨ Place feeders directly on windows to reduce high-speed collisions.

If a bird strikes your window, they may only seem stunned but often suffer hidden injuries like concussions or fractures. If you witness a bird striking a building, contact your local wildlife rehabilitator immediately.

With your help, we can make our environments safer for all birds and give them a fighting chance to thrive in the wild. Stay tuned for updates on Patient 25-34’s recovery—and its journey back to the skies! 🦉

Link to donate to Ojai Raptor Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/tips-to-avoid-window-collisions/feed/ 0