Owls in Towels – Owls in Towels https://owlsintowels.org/ Sun, 11 Oct 2026 11:46:13 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://owlsintowels.org/content/media/tBNh7to.png Owls in Towels – Owls in Towels https://owlsintowels.org/ 32 32 Powerful Owl Burrito https://owlsintowels.org/powerful-owl-burrito/ https://owlsintowels.org/powerful-owl-burrito/#respond Sat, 10 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4920 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 🇦🇺
Website | Facebook

WRC is a satellite of RSPCA Queensland:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

]]> https://owlsintowels.org/powerful-owl-burrito/feed/ 0 How This Owl Feels About Nets https://owlsintowels.org/how-this-owl-feels-about-nets/ https://owlsintowels.org/how-this-owl-feels-about-nets/#respond Fri, 09 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4917 An ornery Great Horned Owl is seated in a white towel on the lap of a rehabilitator wearing thick gloves and a light grey-pink top emblazoned with the West Sound wordmark. The owl's expression is the highlight, with eyebrows at perfect 45 degree angles. His pupils and irises are half moons, staring up at the photographer with immense fury like he's the lead role in The Shining. Clack Nichowlson of course. The rage is somewhat softened by an unkempt bunch of feathers flared atop his crown like the tines of a mangled spork. A highly menacing spork, but a spork nonetheless.

10th of Owltober!

Original post – 02 Dec 2018
by West Sound Wildlife Shelter

located in Bainbridge Island, Washington US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

This Great Horned Owl came to us after being trapped in bird netting.

Link to donate to West Sound Wildlife Shelter for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/how-this-owl-feels-about-nets/feed/ 0 Aussie Boobook Doing Well https://owlsintowels.org/aussie-boobook-doing-well/ https://owlsintowels.org/aussie-boobook-doing-well/#respond Thu, 08 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4905

9th of Owltober!

Original post – 12 Mar 2023
by Boobook Wildlife Shelter

located in Heathmont, Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺
Website | Facebook

Original text:

Our gorgeous little Boobook Owl is doing really well in care. She was rescued by the beautiful Krysti [at @RescueRehabilitateRelease]. We are unsure how she was injured but she had some nasty wounds to her right side. The TVS team [Travelling Veterinary Service operated by Wildlife Victoria] were available to attend yesterday and luckily her X-rays were clear. She is on a course of antibiotics and pain relief for the severe bruising. Today she is bright as a button and has improved tremendously from when she first arrived.

For those wishing to donate, Boobook Wildlife Shelter accepts transfers to the bank account no. listed on their Facebook page.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Ninox boobookAustralian BoobookWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/aussie-boobook-doing-well/feed/ 0 Cutest Little Carnivore https://owlsintowels.org/cutest-little-carnivore/ https://owlsintowels.org/cutest-little-carnivore/#respond Wed, 07 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4899 A Saw-Whet Owl is wrapped in a cosy seafoam coloured garment, looking towards camera with rich sunflower yellow eyes twinkling from a trio of reflected ceiling lights. A syringe of fluid is administered to his open beak by a human wearing lavender nitrile gloves. It's possible he has the barest hint of a scowl in response to the fluids, but it might just be a stray black feather or two, making it look like a raised bottom eyelid. He's a little pink around the maw, probably from his latest meal of diced + defrosted animal treats, being the little carnivore that he is.

8th of Owltober!

This Northern Saw-Whet Owl has featured before, but this particular photo of him is so good it deserves a post of its own.

Original post – 12 Mar 2024
by Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital

located in Ithaca, New York, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

This tiny saw whet owl was found lying in the middle of a busy road on a dark evening a few days ago in Ithaca, NY. Luckily he was noticed by a Cornell faculty member (and bird of prey expert!) that happened to be driving that way. He was gently gathered up in a soft blanket and whisked right to our front door, where our emergency team arrived to provide him with immediate care. Weighing in at only 75 grams (similar in weight to a kiwi fruit!), this owl, although a strong predator in the wild, is a delicate patient that requires extra special care.

Thankfully, after supportive treatments and thorough testing, he is determined to be releasable, and is well on his way to a complete recovery!

Link to donate to Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Aegolius acadicusNorthern Saw-whet OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/cutest-little-carnivore/feed/ 0 Bursting at the Seams https://owlsintowels.org/bursting-at-the-seams/ https://owlsintowels.org/bursting-at-the-seams/#respond Tue, 06 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4892 This Little Owl in both name and nature is wrapped in a cornflower blue tea towel on a white table. She's held secure by eight fingers belonging to a reporter in a pink top and black jacket. The owl's black pupils reflect tube lights, and her irises and beak are matching limoncello yellow. They're in alignment due to the low camera angle and the owl's lifted chin, which accentuates a look of immense suspicion at the photographer: bombastic down-the-beak eye. From this vantage too, the owl's black rictal bristles look like short steep-angled eyebrows. The rest of the owl's feathers are dark brown, cream-streaked, and masked around the eyes, with bunching around the quote-unquote "jawline", like sideburns. Small stature + sideburns + black & yellow accents = Owlverine

7th of Owtober!

This one’s bursting at the seams …. the wildlife hospital, not the owl.

A piece titled ‘South Island Wildlife Hospital Appeals for Help‘ by 1News.co.nz gives us a glimpse into life at the rescue clinic in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Although bursting with beautiful birds and passionate people [SIWH] runs on donations and the smell of an oily rag.

Reporting: RACHEL PARKIN
Editor: DOUG THOMSON
Camera: RICHARD POSTLES

Original post – 26 Oct 2023
featuring South Island Wildlife Hospital

located in Christchurch, New Zealand 🇳🇿
Website | Instagram | Facebook

The accompanying video is worth a watch, and briefly touches on some of the native NZ bird patients, including:

Some more info about SIWH from their Givealittle page:

The South Island Wildlife Hospital is a charitable trust which is run 100% by volunteers, and funding is 100% by donations.

We take in sick and injured wildlife from all over Canterbury, to treat and rehabilitate them for release. Often it is people in the community who bring in birds that they have found that require veterinary treatment, and also the Department of Conservation.

Each day volunteers are rostered to care for the patients, and our vet team juggle hours in the hospital around their normal day jobs. All medical costs, food for the patients and medical consumables are purchased from donations that are received.

We require regular donations to help us with these everyday costs and we would be very appreciative of every dollar that is given to our cause.

Link to donate to South Island Wildlife Hospital for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Athene noctuaLittle OwlWiki link

Short bonus video:

]]> https://owlsintowels.org/bursting-at-the-seams/feed/ 0 “Snowy” the Snowy Owl https://owlsintowels.org/snowy-the-snowy-owl/ https://owlsintowels.org/snowy-the-snowy-owl/#respond Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4860

6th of Owltober!

Original post – 23 Nov 2021
by Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary

located in Minden, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

While examining Snowy the owl for injuries yesterday, we couldn’t help it – we had to take a picture. Those eyes and that moustache give him a look of adorable fierceness!
Snowy will stay with us for a spell, just long enough to remind you [to donate to WWS] where every dollar raised goes towards helping animals like Snowy get back on their feet again.

Link to donate to Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo scandiacusSnowy OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/snowy-the-snowy-owl/feed/ 0 Long-Eared Owlet “Ginette” https://owlsintowels.org/long-eared-owlet-ginette/ https://owlsintowels.org/long-eared-owlet-ginette/#respond Sun, 04 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4855 Arranged in a nest shape is a dusty-burnt-orange towel (in colour only; the cloth is untarnished by earth or flame). Within that nest is a Long-Eared Owl chick draped in a juvenile coat entirely made of ashy-white feathers, with the exception of a bat-shaped mask of brownish-black around her eyes. On the topic of eyes, they're bright orange, like buoyancy rings, around pupils as wide as saucers.

5th of Owltober!

Original post – 20 Apr 2021
by Centre Erminea

located in Chavornay, Switzerland 🇨🇭
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Original text:

Nous avons reçu un bébé hibou moyen duc qui s’est malheureusement fracturé l’humérus. Il s’est fait opérer aujourd’hui et heureusement tout s’est bien passé. Si vous voulez soutenir notre petit chouchou moyen-duc “Ginette” CCP 17-229708-9 🙏 Merci pour votre aide 🦉

English Translation:

We have taken in a young long-eared owl chick that has unfortunately fractured her humerus. She underwent surgery today and, thankfully, everything went well. If you’d like to support our little darling, the long-eared owl “Ginette” (CCP 17-229708-9) 🙏 Thank you for your help 🦉

An x-ray output (post-surgery) shows a long thin metal rod stabilising the bébé owl's humerus. The metalwork is bright white compared to the rest of the owl's skeleton, glowing pale green on a dark background. The owl's bone structure is surprisingly small, illustrating that owls are 99% fluff. A few dozen feathers are radiodense, likely due to having blood supply as they grow, and so the spines appear bright and rather like fish bones or wide-tooth combs. A cone mask for the anaesthesia is placed around the owl's head. The text "Gauche" appears below the pinned wing which might seem odd commentary from the radiographers, had one not just learned the French word for "Left".
Back in the visible spectrum, the Long-Eared Owlet rests on red and orange towels inside a dark-walled container, peering up at whomever is peering down. A pink gauze wrap with purple splotches is around her now pinned Guache wing. She appears startled, and her buoyancy-ring eyes look more lemon than orange in this light.

Link to donate to Centre Erminea for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Asio otusLong-eared OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/long-eared-owlet-ginette/feed/ 0 El Búhorrito https://owlsintowels.org/el-buhorrito/ https://owlsintowels.org/el-buhorrito/#respond Sat, 03 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4821 Coda the Owl is wrapped in a plain white hand towel. Owing (mostly) to the wrap, he is oval shaped and nearly a borb (where borb = bird orb). He's much like the Owls in Towels logo but with desaturated plumage and cat-like ear tufts. His feather are the "gray-morph" variant of Eastern Screech Owls, peppered and bridled with black texturing that looks like granite rocks or tree bark. He has short ashy-white rictal bristles and longer black "whisker" feathers about his long and thin pale beak that hooks over the towel edge. A handler has him in their palms the way one might hold a new-born. He has anime-eyes: a pair of slate-grey peepers looking up at the humans with an expression of innocence and trust.

4th of Owltober!

Original post – 22 Aug 2025
by BeWild Reptile Rescue

located in Durham, North Carolina, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

This is Coda the Eastern Screech Owl, an educational / ambassador owl, pictured shortly before getting his beak trimmed with the help of summer interns. BeWild posted a note of thanks to the interns for their months of work, adding:

We spent a day working with Coda the screech owl, which included a physical exam, new anklets and jesses*, and a beak trim. We know they will do great things!

*Jesses = thin leather straps that allow BeWild to take the owls out safely for public education.

Coda was initially transferred to the BeWild facility in Nov 2022, noted then as “feisty and strong”, joining Sonata, another gray-morph Eastern Screech Owl for ambassadorial work.

In another post BeWild explained:

Coda was injured in the wild and has a radius/ulna malunion on his right wing. While he can’t fly very well, he can hop a few feet and uses a ladder to get up to his higher perches!

Link to donate to BeWild Reptile Rescue for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Megascops asioEastern Screech OwlWiki link

P.S. This is Coda’s 2nd appearance with Owls in Towels – his first is here.

]]> https://owlsintowels.org/el-buhorrito/feed/ 0 Boobook Spooked by Magpies https://owlsintowels.org/boobook-spooked-by-magpies/ https://owlsintowels.org/boobook-spooked-by-magpies/#respond Fri, 02 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4813 A Boobook looks positively terrified... mortified... petrified... stupefied. Which is fair dinkum for any Magpie victim, but then again, it may just be RBF (Resting Boobook Face). Regardless, this owl has a shocked expression and mismatched pupils, with a pair of wide eyes the hue of a dark forest floor, or a kiwifruit that's gone a bit soft past its prime. She's wrapped in a blue tea towel which, along with her brown plumage, collects wayward strands of grass and leaf litter. Her feathers are the same tone as Chewbacca's fur, though not quite as long. In a word: Boobookiee.

3rd of Owltober!

October is Spring for Australians and on this side of the Equinox (and Tropic of Capricorn) the days are getting noticeably longer, lighter and warmer: a time for planting pumpkins rather than harvesting them. And yet, it is still very much a scary season, for Australia is home to arguably one of the most frightening creatures on the planet: the Australian Magpie.

Indeed, it’s nesting season for Magpies, and these guys (and it’s almost always the guys) will guard their territory like it’s the last tub of Vegemite during a global shortage. For a few weeks of the year, a small but aggressive contingent will dive at anything they see as a threat. Reports of Magpies swooping at cyclists is common – there’s a whole website for registering attacks at magpiealert.com so you can plan your commute around these fierce protectors.

Owls, as it turns out, are not immune to the beaks and claws of Magpies. The Australian Boobook pictured above was a wildlife patient at South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter after an attack from a Magpie mob. Not much more info is in the original post, but it’s a good reminder for Australians to pack their safety sunglasses and wide brim hats when heading into the suburban wilderness. And also not to blame the Magpies, they’re just following their nature, and trying to raise their young in a challenging environment.

Take care Aussie creatures, be you feathered or not.

Original post – 18 Apr 2024
by South Oakleigh Wildlife Shelter (SOWS)

located in South Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Link to donate to SOWS for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Ninox boobookAustralian BoobookWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/boobook-spooked-by-magpies/feed/ 0 Pygmy Owl Gets Wing Surgery https://owlsintowels.org/pygmy-owl-gets-wing-surgery/ https://owlsintowels.org/pygmy-owl-gets-wing-surgery/#respond Thu, 01 Oct 2026 23:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4782 Lurking in the folds of a soft blue towel is a Northern Pygmy Owl. One eye is covered by the towel's herringbone stitch; the other peers out at the clinic and its occupants with a level of distrust appropriate for a wild animal. A deep blue bandage is located at the owl's shoulders, reminiscent of a heart-shaped diamond. It's worth noting the photo is rotated - the original has the owl upon a corkboard surface, lying on his/her side like Rose Dawson, but with more clothes. This is a reference to a nude scene in Titanic (1997) played by seven-time Oscar nominee Kate Wins-owlet.

2nd of Owltober!

It’s ten years to the day that this lil guy, a Northern Pygmy Owl, had surgery for a broken wing.

Original post – 02 Oct 2016
by Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah

located in Ogden, Utah, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

As we’ve said before, Wildlife Rehabilitation is not cheap and “it takes a village” to make this work; support from individuals just like you.

This Northern Pigmy-Owl (the smallest owl in Utah) came to WRCNU two weeks ago with a broken wing. Here we share photos of his visit to Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic to repair his injury.

This image has 3 horizontal panels: Panel one shows the patient (same owl + same towel) receiving anaesthesia gas via a transparent cone-shaped mask with a tube out the top. Text to the right reads "naptime". Panel two is an x-ray of the owl's wing with an arrow pointing to the biggest bone. Text in red says "break in right wing humerus" but I don't think it's very funny. Panel three shows the operation. The vet surgeon wears white medical gloves and wields metallic tools aimed at a hole in a plastic sheet covering the patient. A text block reads "not for the squeamish!" and occludes the grisly details.

This single surgical visit ran just shy of $1,000 and thankfully Parrish Creek gives us a discount due to our nonprofit work with wildlife, but even with that this itsy bitsy bird cost WRCNU almost $500 so far—not including his, hopefully, final visit and pin removal next week).

Twin vertical panels show similar profiles of the Pygmy Owl held aloft for the camera. The owl is a scaled-down rugby ball in shape, and has dark royal-green gauze wrapping the wing injury. The owl's feathers are muted brown with lighter tan-to-cream streaks on the face and flecks on the forehead and chest. These flecks are like tiny trees, or symbols in a map legend for wetlands ( 𐠮 𐠮 𐠮 ). At bottom of frame the owl's feet are lightly pinched about the ankle by human fingers. Bunches of pale yellow appendages also known as "toes" emerge from said feet, looking like aglet-sized bananas with the world's tiniest scythe blades attached. The owl's face says, "Don't make me use them."

We’ve taken in almost 2,300 animals so far this year (3 months still to go) and so you might be able to imagine the bills we have to pay to give these amazing animals a second chance in an increasingly “humanized world”.

Enjoy the photos and please consider helping our mission of REHABILITATION, EDUCATION, and RELEASE!
Thank You! ❤

Link to donate to WRCNU for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Glaucidium californicumNorthern Pygmy OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/pygmy-owl-gets-wing-surgery/feed/ 0 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 (ȣ) 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 🇨🇦
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

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/big-recovery-for-great-horned/feed/ 0 Not Quite Owls in ‘Towels’ https://owlsintowels.org/not-quite-owls-in-towels/ https://owlsintowels.org/not-quite-owls-in-towels/#respond Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4735 A Saw-Whet Owl is pouched in a cotton draw-string bag in the hands of a bander. She looks directly at camera with eyes yellow and wide: one eye lit from above-left, the other occluded in shadow. Feathers are muted brown with streaks of cream-white radiating from the eyes. The pouch is white with light blue stripes like the Uruguayan flag (1828-1830). In the background atop a wooden desk and out of focus is a chart with bars of yellow - likely for registering the hue of each banded owl's eyes as part of the migration research.

Original post: 09 Oct 2019
by Cornell Lab of Ornithology / All About Birds

located in Ithaca, New York, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original caption text:

A saw-whet is ready for a quick exam when researchers will collect data and affix an identifying leg band.

The tiny owls are wrapped up in cloth bags to keep them calm until it’s time for researchers to conduct a brief examination.

Three identical pouches are strung from a horizontal cord, affixed with wooden clothes pegs like garments on a washing line. The pouches, I think it's safe to assume, are laden with one Saw-Whet Owl each. Some trust has been placed in the springs of the pegs, given that these little goobers typically weigh around 80 grams or 2.8 ounces. For reference that's the weight of a very small banana, or a hefty lemon, but those things rarely try to escape once put in a bag.

The full story A Grassroots Banding Project Reveals How Amazing Northern Saw-whet Owls Are by Scott Weidensaul is worth a read 🙂

Link to donate to Cornell Lab of Ornithology for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Aegolius acadicusNorthern Saw-whet OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/not-quite-owls-in-towels/feed/ 0 Spa Day for Great Horned https://owlsintowels.org/spa-day-for-great-horned/ https://owlsintowels.org/spa-day-for-great-horned/#respond Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4722
A Great Horned Owl is neck deep in water in a stainless steel mixing bowl, with a navy blue towel draped over his back. The camera is looking down into the bowl from an oblique angle, and the owl cranes his head up to flash his buttercup yellow eyes. His expression however is anything but buttery. Nay, it one of immense rage on the brink of manifesting in unspeakable acts of violence.

Original post – 25 Sep 2020
by Red Wolf Sanctuary

located in Rising Sun, Indiana, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

WHEN YOU GET TANGLED UP IN SOMETHING THAT LANDS YOU IN HOT WATER:
This poor little boy GREAT HORNED OWL must have gotten something wrapped around his talons (toes) causing them to swell and develop into a nasty infection.
Hot soaking spa treatments in epsom salts daily are starting him on the road to recovery.

Out of the mixing bowl and into the hands of the Red Wolf rehabilitator (pictured behind, wearing a pomegranate-red tee), the owl continues his look of fury at the camera. Wet plumage on his chest is matted and scraggly, while his plumicorn feathers (a.k.a. 'horns') are slicked back and to the sides, with a few flyaway feathers pointing left and right like he's the titular character of 'Hey Arnold!'. The rehabber holds the owl's ankles and points his toes and talons at camera for easier inspection. The pink pads on the owl's feet match the marshmallow towel in which he is partially wrapped.

Link to donate to Red Wolf Sanctuary for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/spa-day-for-great-horned/feed/ 0 Orphaned Long-Eared Owl https://owlsintowels.org/orphaned-long-eared-owl/ https://owlsintowels.org/orphaned-long-eared-owl/#respond Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4710
A young Long-Eared Owl is partially wrapped in and supine upon a towel patterned butter-yellow and white. His head is turned to face the rehabilitator off-camera, who wears white nitrile gloves, and pinches the owl's ankles between fingers to keep him immobile for treatment. With luck this will also keep the carer safe from the sharp talons spread anisodactyl like a trio of upholstery needles bottom of frame.

An orphaned Long-Eared Owl chick was dehydrated on admission. Special care and diet will help him grow until he is ready to return to the wild.

Original post – 03 Mar 2026
by GREFA Wildlife Rescue Center
a.k.a Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat

located in Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text in Spanish:

Ingresa el primer volantón de la temporada en GREFA🪺✨️

La primera cría de rapaz del año ya está en el hospital de GREFA: se trata de un volantón de búho chico que llegó ligeramente deshidratado y ya ha recibido los primeros cuidados en nuestra clínica 🩺💊

No es casualidad que se trate de una rapaz noctura, puesto que muchas de estas especies inician la época de cría antes que otras rapaces🦉

Tras realizarle una revisión completa y comenzar con las pautas iniciales de tratamiento, ha pasado al departamento de Huérfanos, donde está recibiendo alimentación y cuidados específicos para crecer y desarrollarse con normalidad hasta que esté preparado para regresar al medio natural 🌿🐛

Es el primero… ¡pero no será el último! 🐣
Con la primavera comienzan a ingresar cientos de pollos huérfanos de distintas especies que necesitan atención especializada, tratamientos, alimentación frecuente y un seguimiento constante hasta poder volver a la naturaleza 🌳🌞

Empieza una de las épocas más intensas del año para nuestro equipo, ¡estamos preparados para darles una segunda oportunidad a todos ellos! 💪🪶

DeepL English translation:

The first fledgling of the season arrives at GREFA🪺✨️

The first raptor chick of the year is already at the GREFA hospital: it’s a little owl fledgling that arrived slightly dehydrated and has already received initial care at our clinic 🩺💊

It’s no coincidence that this is a nocturnal bird of prey, since many of these species begin their breeding season earlier than other birds of prey🦉

After undergoing a thorough examination and beginning the initial treatment plan, he has been transferred to the Orphans Department, where he is receiving specialised nutrition and care to help him grow and develop normally until he is ready to return to the wild 🌿🐛

This is the first one… but it won’t be the last! 🐣
With the arrival of spring, hundreds of orphaned chicks of various species begin to arrive, all in need of specialised care, medical treatment, frequent feedings, and constant monitoring until they’re ready to return to the wild 🌳🌞

One of the busiest times of the year is beginning for our team – we’re ready to give them all a second chance! 💪🪶

The youngster now looks directly at camera, with beak and bright lava-orange eyes wide open, expressing alarm. He's covered in ashy-white fuzz typical of nestlings, and could be mistaken for either very cute dryer lint, or strawberries after 24 hrs in the fridge.

Link to donate to GREFA Wildlife Rescue Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Asio otusLong-eared OwlWiki link



Correction 12 Sep 2026: This is a Long-Eared Owl chick, not a Eurasian Eagle-Owl chick as first thought. They’re very similar at this young age!

Top panel: Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) owlets in the nest. — Photo: WildMedia/Shutterstock.com Bottom panel: Four Long-Eared Owl (Asio otis) owlets stand on a tree branch at sunrise in Minsk. —Photo: CFP Both panels show owlets with orange eyes and fuzzy white feathers, virtually indistinguishable from muppets.
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/orphaned-long-eared-owl/feed/ 0 Expression After Hit By Car https://owlsintowels.org/expression-after-hit-by-car/ https://owlsintowels.org/expression-after-hit-by-car/#respond Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4698 This Great Horned Owl is big mad. Plumicorns? Up. Brow? Furrowed. Pupils? The size of dinner plates. He is half-wrapped in a cream blanket, which, combined with thick leathery gloves on his torso means the rehabilitator (behind in a light-blue polymer medical gown) is partially protected from the owl's wrath. It cannot be overstated how angry the owl looks.

Original post – 11 Oct 2024
by Ojai Raptor Center

located in Oak View, California, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

It’s hard to believe, but the unfortunate predicament that Great Horned Owl patient 24-680 found itself in is not as rare as one might think. This owl was rescued after becoming lodged in the grill of a vehicle. Remarkably, we receive about one of these cases a year, and many of the raptors we’ve treated have survived this traumatic ordeal. Despite the severity of the accident, 24-680 is expected to make a full recovery, even after suffering a broken fibula.

Link to donate to Ojai Raptor Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/expression-after-hit-by-car/feed/ 0 Model Owl in a Towel https://owlsintowels.org/model-owl-in-a-towel/ https://owlsintowels.org/model-owl-in-a-towel/#respond Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4608 A Ruru / Morepork is an exemplary owl in a towel, wrapped in plain white fabric like a burrito, except instead of rice, beans and salad you get a live bird. His/her eyes are the colour of rich amber, looking alert and slightly left of camera. Feathers are brown like a medium roast coffee, with accents of cream and caramel around the forehead and chest. Reflected in the owl's pupils are a trio of ceiling lights: bands of light that narrow with perspective and appear arched due to the curvature of the owl's eyes, which altogether makes them look like WiFi symbols 🛜v🛜.

Original post – 24 Aug 2026
by Wildbase Hospital

located in Palmerston North, New Zealand 🇳🇿
Website | Facebook

Original text:

One lucky ruru!🦉
This ruru was admitted to Wildbase Hospital from Hunterville after a window collision. Thankfully, no major injuries were found. After just 10 days of treatment, this patient is already ready to begin building flight fitness as it continues its rehabilitation.
We’re hopeful it won’t be long before this beautiful manu is ready to return to the wild. 💚

For those willing and able, please click the following link to donate to Wildbase Hospital and select Wildbase Research Fund under Designation.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Ninox novaeseelandiaeMoreporkWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/model-owl-in-a-towel/feed/ 0 Inspecting a Snowy Owl https://owlsintowels.org/inspecting-a-snowy-owl/ https://owlsintowels.org/inspecting-a-snowy-owl/#respond Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4603

Original post – 29 Dec 2025
by Wild North

located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

2025 was an incredible, busy and record breaking year for WILDNorth!

Thank you to every finder, donor, volunteer and silent supporter, we couldn’t do it without you!

A yellow-eyed Snowy Owl appears reasonably at ease, wedged between the forearm and torso of a wildlife carer. The owl is half-wrapped in a towel patterned with palm trees, in two shades of green: dark green like the rind of a watermelon and light green like a lime... A tropical theme for an Arctic bird. The handler wears a black zip-up hoodie and mismatching gloves: a thick elbow-length glove on one arm to hold the owl's legs, and a medical glove on the other to perform a tactile examination (likely checking for fractures on the owl's legs). One to inspect + one to protect = things you gotta do when the stompers are on deck.

Link to donate to Wild North for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo scandiacusSnowy OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/inspecting-a-snowy-owl/feed/ 0 Rescued from Barbed Wire https://owlsintowels.org/rescued-from-barbed-wire/ https://owlsintowels.org/rescued-from-barbed-wire/#respond Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://owlsintowels.org/?p=4576 A Great Horned Owl is cloaked and hooded in a pink red towel with frayed-edges. One plumicorn is covered by the hood and the other is half-raised, askew, and partially obstructed by the towel. Eyes are yellow with a tinge of green, like the skin of an unripe mango, under the awning of a thin white brow in the shape of two tilde '~~' characters placed back-to-back. A rehabilitator restrains the owl with a thick glove. The owl expresses an ill temper, aimed squarely at camera.

Original post – 17 May 2026
by Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

located in Lucas, Texas, US 🇺🇸
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Original text:

This Great Horned Owl (Patient 26-0163) came to our raptor center after being trapped in barbed wire. The owl was lethargic, likely from exerting energy to try and free itself. Our raptor clinic staff removed barbed wire from the owl’s right wing. We cleaned around the wound with diluted chlorhexidine, flushed with sterile saline, applied hydroactive gel to wrist and elbow, applied tefla and tegaderm bandages. Fluids were given to rehydrate the owl. It was then placed in our intensive care unit. The following day, the clinic staff took an ever closer look at the wounds. The right wing had significant swelling over radius/ulna, 1 cm laceration in the proximal ulna, bruising over humerus, patagium severed, abrasion and bruising/swelling over metacarpals. The left wing had a 1 cm laceration in the proximal ulna. Same routing — wounds were cleaned, medications applied, bandages put on. A few more days…and the severed patagium is starting to contract and some bruising is resolving. The clinic staff will continue this process of monitoring the wounds, medicating, and wrapping with bandages during the healing process.

Same photo as before, except now a band of long pink fibres from the towel is flopped across one eye of the owl, while the other eye is semi-depressed by the hood. The result is "Dreamworks Face", as best described by TVTropes: "You know that face. The clever, asymmetrical smirk. The similarly crooked eyebrows. The intense stare-down that comes at you from the promotional movie posters - especially for CG family films. It's the expression that tells you the hero is going to be up to no good, and is much cooler than any of those classic, mainstream, conformist wimps those *other* studios produce."
From a little further back, this photo gives a wider view of the clinical setting. The owl is supine on a stainless steel exam table. The hood of the pink-red towel fully covers the owl's head (to reduce stress) and a second towel is laid flat for cushioning. One worker holds the owl's ankles to prevent those powerful black talons from tearing holes in equipment, people. A second pair of blurple-gloved hands hold the owl's wing and treat injuries with a cotton swab.

Link to donate to Blackland Prairie Raptor Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link
]]> https://owlsintowels.org/rescued-from-barbed-wire/feed/ 0