Ron Swanson in Owl Form

Great Horned Owls have the best expressions: their entire face changes shape when threatened, as seen here on this individual with large raised plumicorn tufts and the human equivalent of a very angry scowl. This one is doing her best Ron Swanson impression (basically Nick Offerman with feathers). The towel is taupe brown and blends well with her plumage.

23rd of Owltober!

Original post – 21 Jul 2017
featuring Tufts Wildlife Clinic

located in Grafton, Massachusetts, US 🇺🇸
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In an article titled “Great Horned Owl Back in the Wild”, Ken Cleveland reporting for Telegram & Gazette spoke with Jessica Zorge, a wildlife program assistant at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and gleaned the following info…

Original text:

The adult female, weighing just over four pounds, had puncture wounds to its foot. Tufts veterinary experts removed a necrotic toe that could have proved life-threatening.

Then the owl was “placed into a healing cage and has been conditioning until today,” Zorge said just before the owl was returned to the wild.

The conditioning is important after surgery, and ensures that the owl will be prepared to return to its environment. It includes exercise “to make sure everything looks good,” Zorge said. “They have to be 100 percent before release.”

Four panel photo - the first is a copy of the previous photo and the next two are minor variations of it. The owl makes intense eye contact with onlookers; they're off-camera but it's clear she's assaying them one by one, remembering their faces. The owl is held aloft by Jessica Zorge, the Tufts rehabber in a dark blue jacket. The fourth panel below is the largest, showing a blurred owl upon release. She's a yellow-eyed pointy-beaked missile, in flight against streaks of leafy green behind. The arrangement of photos tells a story of her plotting murder: "You're dead. You're dead. And *you're* especially dead." Photo 4 ends with her escaping the scene of the crime.

Photo upon release:

With little ado, the owl quietly took flight, swiftly becoming a blur as it disappeared into the trees.

Link to donate to Tufts Wildlife Clinic for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link

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