It’s a SPOOKY time of year,
and these little flying monsters know owl about it.
But you wanna know what’s REALLY SCARY?
Almost all the owls featured on this site
are admitted for injuries caused by . . .
HUMANS
😱
Yup. Most owl injuries seen at wildlife clinics are due to HUMAN IMPACT. And most are entirely preventable!
Here’s a bunch of ways humans negatively affect owls (and other wild animals):
🐀 Rat poison
🫙 Glue traps
✨ Barbed wire fences
🎣 Fishing lines
🥅 Soccer nets
🕸️ Artificial decorations
🪟 Window strikes
🚗 Car strikes
🚯 Road Litter
🪓 Habitat loss
It’s a lot of BAD NEWS
But does this mean that Humans + Owls = BAD NEWS ?
Well, not always!
And that’s because…
WE CAN DO THINGS ABOUT IT
Human impacts can also improve the lives of owls, often in very simple ways.
Here’s a bunch lumped together in three broad categories:
(tap each of the below to expand)
Better Pest Control
☠️ Stop the Use of Anticoagulant Rodenticides
Rat poison kills more than just rats. Owls and other predators suffer severe secondary poisoning when they eat rats and mice that have ingested these poisons.
🫙 Stop the Use of Glue Traps
These traps are indiscriminate and inhumane, causing slow and needless suffering. They pose a danger to unintended victims, including owls.
🪤 Use Owl-Friendly Traps
Opt for more effective and humane pest control methods e.g. (spring-based, electric) or non-lethal (live traps with an alert system). Whatever you choose, be intentional, follow instructions, and target only the specific pest area.
🪹 Install Roosting Boxes
Encourage owls on your property, and they BECOME the rodent control!
Fewer Entanglements
🪝 Remove Barbed Wire
If you or someone you know has barbed-wire fences, educate them about the threats they pose to wildlife and suggest safer alternatives.
🎣 Remove Fishing Line
Always dispose of fishing gear responsibly. Lines and hooks can ensnare wildlife, causing severe injury.
🥅 Remove Soccer Nets
Use nets for live play only. Remove them from the goal frames after each game to prevent owls from getting caught.
🕸 Avoid Artificial Decorations
Steer clear of decorations like artificial spiderwebs, which can easily tangle birds and other animals.
Safer Built Environment
🪟 Prevent Window Collisions
Birds often strike windows when they see a reflection of their environment (trees, sky) and fly into the solid pane. The result is billions of bird deaths each year. No joke. The solution is to use stickers on windows to help break the illusion. Search online for “anti-bird strike decals.” Some even come with extra UV reflectivity. Ensure even spacing, no more than the width of your hand apart.
🚗 Drive Cautiously
Drive slowly and extra carefully during low-light times, i.e., dawn and dusk, as this is when most owls hunt, making them more vulnerable to being struck.
🚮 Keep Roads Clean
Do not litter on roads. Rubbish attracts rodents, which in turn attracts owls to hunt them, increasing their risk of being hit by a vehicle.
🌱 Support Owl Habitats
Get involved in saving owl habitats from destruction, enhancing existing forested areas, or helping generate new ones. Talk to people in your community about regeneration initiatives. You can participate by looking up volunteer planting or weeding days in the spring and summer.
Finally, you can have two HUGE impacts on wildlife by:
1. Sharing this knowledge.
2. Supporting your nearest wildlife rehabilitation clinic.
And that’s it, those are the things we can do about it.
Pretty simple right? Now let’s do the things!
💛💛💛
That’s owl folks.
Take care, and have a…
image courtesy of
Think Wild Central Oregon