Tamarack Wildlife Center (@tamarackwildlife)
Original post – 16 Jun 2023

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“Our colleagues at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center (@lakeerienature) admitted this young Northern Saw-whet Owl after it was found injured and missing most of it’s flight feathers, possibly as a result of an animal attack. With permission from state officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania, they transferred this petite owl to Tamarack for continued treatment. X-rays show it has a fractured first digit, so it is receiving splinting, medications and physical therapy.

“Northern Saw-whet Owls stand just 7 inches tall, and make a repetitive “toot-toot-toot” call. It is unusual to see these secretive nocturnal birds as they perch in dense conifers. Saw-whets primarily hunt deer mice and a single mouse is two meals for them. They are unusual among owls in that they migrate. A banding project called “Project Owlnet” which began in the 1990s has been adding to our understanding of their movements. Erie Bird Observatory bands migrating Saw-whets each year.”
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