Original post – 07 Sep 2024 – Source
by Salthaven West located in Regina, Saskatchewan
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Initial post 7 September 2024
This sweet Great Horned Owl arrived at Salthaven West with severe head trauma. After a few weeks in our care receiving medication and physiotherapy, it’s gradually re-learning how to balance and stand on its own. While there’s still a long road to recovery and the prognosis remains cautious, we’re committed to doing everything we can to help this resilient owl heal so it can be released back into the wild! ๐
Update 24 October 2024
Celebrating Progress: A Brave Owl’s Journey to Recovery ๐ฆ
This Great Horned Owlโs defensive posture might look intimidating, but for us, itโs a big win! Remember the photo of her when she first came into our care? She couldnโt stand or even lift her head after suffering severe head trauma. It took weeks of medication, daily physiotherapy, and constant care for her to regain her strength and balance to stand. Now, not only does she perch confidently, she has regained her strong, powerful flight!
After over two months of recovery, sheโs nearly ready to return to the wild. ๐ซ
Final update 23 Nov 2024:
[I think this is the same GHOWโฆ]
๐ช๐ฆ This Great Horned Owl was admitted to our clinic after colliding with a window at the University of Regina. When it arrived, the owl was unconscious and suffering from severe head trauma. The injury was so significant that we had to administer anti-inflammatory and pain medication every 12 hours during the first week of care.
After weeks of dedicated rehabilitation, she began showing significant improvement. Eventually, she graduated to our large outdoor flight pen, where she could strengthen her wings and practice flying. Before her release back into the wild, she was banded by a professional so that we can continue to learn from her.
โ ๏ธ Window collisions are completely preventable! โ ๏ธ Individuals and businesses all have a responsibility to make windows bird-safe to prevent needless suffering and death. Windows can be made bird-safe by applying dense patterns on the outside of the glass, with no gaps larger than 2โx2โ. Short-term fixes include using soap or markers to create dots, lines, or creative designs! For a long-term solution, try [a commercial product, see note below], a highly effective and affordable option thatโs easy to install and lasts on windows for up to 10 years. ๐
Link to donate to Salthaven West for those willing and able.
xo owlsintowels
๐๐ฆ
| Species | Common Name | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Bubo virginianus | Great Horned Owl | Wiki link |
Additional comment on window strike
One billion birds die annually from collisions with glass in North America alone. That’s Billion with a capital B.
I wouldn’t normally include this since it’s a branded product, and we want to remain free of commercial interests. In this case it’s something that helps prevent wild birds from needless injury and death, and so our values are aligned and I feel no qualms about making a recommendation.
The product is Feather Friendly Window Tape. It’s basically a roll of stickers that you stick to your window as a grid of dots. The stickers come in many shapes and spacings, either for new window installations, or can be retrofitted to existing. There are a few existing brands, and Feather Friendly is the one that was included on Salthaven’s post.
We’re not affiliated in any way, and Owls in Towels receives no commissions or kickbacks. I do include referral tags in URLs essentially to say ‘hey, you were sent from owlsintowels.org’, only because it’s nice for them to know where people come from. But that’s it. This is merely word of mouth. I haven’t tried the product and can’t vouch for its effectiveness, but reviews look pretty decent. ๐
