Ontario – Owls in Towels https://owlsintowels.org/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:47:57 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://owlsintowels.org/content/media/tBNh7to.png Ontario – Owls in Towels https://owlsintowels.org/ 32 32 Big Recovery for Great Horned https://owlsintowels.org/big-recovery-for-great-horned/ https://owlsintowels.org/big-recovery-for-great-horned/#respond Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4773 Draped in a vanilla towel before a wall of wood panels painted mossy sage, a Great Horned Owl stares at camera with wide yellow eyes. The owl's chest plumage is tabby-patterned and calico-toned in shades of black white and ginger. The ear-like tufts for which the species is named are raised at 11 and 1 o'clock. They're mostly black, with tan highlights along the inside track, giving the impression of Unicode character U+223 (Θ£) much like the symbol for Taurus the bull. The owl expresses a photogenic sort of anger, and like a bull, looks ready to impale any who come near.

1st of Owltober!

Original post – 02 Nov 2025
by Shades of Hope Wildlife

located in Pefferlaw, Ontario, Canada πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

GREAT HORNED OWL

This patient arrived a few weeks ago showing critical signs of head trauma. With blood in his mouth and an overall lethargy, our team provided emergency care and placed him on medical watch.

It is now 4 weeks later and we are happy to see a great improvement. He is looking bright again and we are hopeful that he will make a full recovery.

Link to donate to Shades of Hope Wildlife for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

πŸ’›πŸ¦‰

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/big-recovery-for-great-horned/feed/ 0 Brancher Owls Renested https://owlsintowels.org/brancher-owls-renested/ https://owlsintowels.org/brancher-owls-renested/#respond Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4364 A Great Horned Owlet is contained in a vanilla pillow case. The case colour matches his/her fuzzy fledgling feathers, like frosted tips on plumage that is otherwise tan, brown and black. The setting is a forest floor: an orange climbing rope is coiled below with brown pine needles and leaf litter strewn about.

Original post – 12 May 2024
by Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre

located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

Rehabilitation is great but re-nesting is even better!! Thanks to observant rescuers, our skilled team, and a volunteer arborist, together we were able to re-nest two branching Great Horned Owls high up in the tree. Both young were found on the ground with evidence that their nest was destroyed. After a thorough check, and a few good meals at the Centre, they were ready to return home. From a far distance, we observed mom and dad excitedly welcoming them back within an hour of them returning to the tree!!

A second owlet appears. The pair of GHOWs are perched fore and aft on a branch in a brightly-lit enclosure. The owls' silhouettes blend with the off-white wooden trellis walls behind, making it hard to make out the horns for which the species is named (i.e. the tufts of feathers that ostensibly look like ears). The tufts are only short round nubbins at this early life stage. Any excuse to use the word nubbin, really.
Close up of one of the owlets, with pale yellow eyes and mouth agape trying to exclaim in owl-speak "back off strange bear!"
Shot from afar, one of the owlets is centre of frame, perched high in a pine tree.

πŸ¦‰This is peak clumsy baby owl season. If you have found a young owl, please call BEFORE rescue if possible so we can assess re-nesting potential! πŸ¦‰

Link to donate to Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

πŸ’›πŸ¦‰

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/brancher-owls-renested/feed/ 0 Blue-Bandaged Screech Owl https://owlsintowels.org/blue-bandaged-screech-owl/ https://owlsintowels.org/blue-bandaged-screech-owl/#respond Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=3869 A grey, black and white Screech Owl with the faintest tinges of tan here and there, is cloaked in a white towel. The most colourful part of the photo is the blue bandage around his right leg. His plumicorns (raised tufts that look like ears) are at full mast, and his talons are clenched. His eyes are grey-green, dilated, and express a sentiment best described as nope-nope-not-happy.

Original post – 07 Jan 2025
by Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge

located in Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

This little screech owl went after the wrong prey.

He must have stuck is foot in a gap to grab a mouse and unfortunately ended up wedging is leg in the gap degloving a large [area] of his right leg.

Fortunately he didn’t break his leg and his wound should heal in due time.

Link to donate to Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

πŸ’›πŸ¦‰

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Megascops asioEastern Screech OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/blue-bandaged-screech-owl/feed/ 0 Wrapped at the Armpits https://owlsintowels.org/wrapped-at-the-armpits/ https://owlsintowels.org/wrapped-at-the-armpits/#respond Fri, 23 Jan 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=3158 A Screech Owl with supremely bombastic stink eye is wrapped at the armpits in a minty white towel, wings akimbo. Her olive-grey eyes, one a half moon, the other a crescent, match her beak in colour. The faintest outline of "ear" tufts appear on her fuzzy silhouette, before a plain yellow-green background the tone of under-ripe avocado.

Original post – 04 Jun 2024
by Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
located in Amhertburg, Canada πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Wings Wildlife posted this grumpy looking owl, describing her as a

hatch-year Eastern Screech Owl recovering from a window Strike.

She was included with a number of other birds of prey on their social media post, urging people to help resupply their stocks of frozen rats and mice. At the time, the clinic experienced a large influx of carnivorous birds coming into their care, including:

  • 9 Eastern Screech Owls
  • 7 Cooper’s Hawks
  • 2 Red-tailed Hawks
  • 10 Great-horned Owls
  • 4 Turkey Vultures

Link to donate to Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

πŸ’›πŸ¦‰

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Megascops asioEastern Screech OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/wrapped-at-the-armpits/feed/ 0 Cosy Northern Saw-Whet https://owlsintowels.org/cosy-northern-saw-whet/ https://owlsintowels.org/cosy-northern-saw-whet/#respond Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=2051 Close-up of a Saw-whet Owl wrapped inside a fluffy cream towel. A half circle of head takes up the top-half of frame. Said head contains a pair of yellow eyes with wide pupils, and the top of a beak; everything below this is obscured by the towel. The feathers around the brow of the owl's eyes and bridge of the beak forms a Y-shape of white. The rest of the owl is brown with small white speckles and streaks.

Original post – 27 Jan 2023
by Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre

located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

A good day to wrap yourself in a blanket and stay cozy!

Some more info (courtesy of OVWBCC) is that the Saw-whet Owl gets its name from its call, which resembles the sound made when someone sharpens (aka “whets”) a large mill saw. πŸͺšπŸͺšπŸͺš

They also have a series of barks, whines, and squeaks they use to communicate with each other.

Link to donate to Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

πŸ’›πŸ¦‰

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Aegolius acadicusNorthern Saw-whet OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/cosy-northern-saw-whet/feed/ 0 Dinnertime for Saw-whet Owl https://owlsintowels.org/dinnertime-for-saw-whet-owl/ https://owlsintowels.org/dinnertime-for-saw-whet-owl/#respond Sun, 12 Nov 2023 00:16:52 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=740
See the instagram/facebook links below to see the original video – it’s super cute

Original post – 25 Nov 2014 – Source
by Toronto Wildlife Center at Toronto, Ontario

Website | Instagram | Facebook

This saw-whet owl was found in a window well after hitting the window of someone’s home. Now being treated for eye injuries at Toronto Wildlife Centre, he’s having trouble eating on his own. He is being hand-fed chunks of raw meat until he feels better.

For those willing and able please consider helping fund Toronto Wildlife Center at the following DONATION LINK. Your generosity ensures the best possible care for their animal guests.

xo owlsintowels

πŸ’›πŸ¦‰

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Aegolius acadicusNorthern saw-whet owlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/dinnertime-for-saw-whet-owl/feed/ 0