Powerful Owl Burrito

A Powerful Owl is wrapped to the chin in a coriander towel, looking like a large egg shaped burrito. From top of said burrito a wide beak and pair of amber eyes emerge with a blank expression - innocent and curious. The bundle of owl has not a hint of malice at being sat on the lap of the light denim shorts-clad rehabilitator taking the photo. Her chin feathers look a little pink, from a recent meal perhaps. The beak is slate black with a cere (the fleshy membrane at the top of bird beaks) the colour of beeswax. Her facial feathers form a white X with white streaks radiating from her forehead on plumage that is otherwise muted brown to licorice black. Behind is a bark chip floor next to the green wall of a prefab sheet metal shed.

11th of Owltober!

Original post – 05 Mar 2023
by Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Eumundi
located in Eumundi, Queensland, Australia 🇦🇺
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Original text:

This powerful owl was paralysed when admitted. Today he or she is looking a lot more powerful, and just started perching and flying 😊

Perched on a branch in an outdoor enclosure is the Powerful Owl patient. Her body is pear to eggplant shaped with orange toes and black talons emerging beneath. Her head's turned in profile and her orange eyes bulge a little. Her plumage is a dusty brownish-black with white bars across the wings, and ditto but inverted across the torso, though instead of bars it's more like small bat-shaped V's (spooky). Her wings are stretched down behind her like she's running Naruto style but her legs are still. A second aviary with steel pipe-framing appears ~30 m (100 ft) away through the green mesh netting behind, on a well-vegetated site with short lawns and tall canopies.
In close-up, taken from below, the Powerful Owl stares down at us from her perch with wide eyes and an expression of surprise (the data so far suggests this is her default). The black and white bars on her wings are staggered across individual feathers, creating a checkerboard pattern in places. The bat-shaped patterns on her torso are discernible at this distance and upon inspection are clearly an amalgam of the Batman logo from the Batman Beyond animated series (1999) and Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008). Her feet are practically next to the lens and notably the talons are huge and toes are hairy.

Link to donate to Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Eumundi / RSPCA Qld for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Ninox strenuaPowerful OwlWiki link

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