Baby owl!

[amc80]

In a courtyard at work there's a baby owl. Mama owl is high up in a nest and baby owl fell/flew/jumped out of the best yesterday. He was hiding in bushes yesterday but managed to get himself to higher ground today.

 

[amc80]

Here s/he is-

 

[Matata]

Looks like a Great Horned Owl fledgling. Couple of days to strengthen its chest muscles and it will hopefully be flying along.

 

[kenny]

Wow, how cool.

 

[woofmama]

I would love to see a baby owl in the open. Very cool!

 

[ForteKitty]

Such a BIG baby! So cool!!

 

[sonnyjane]

Such a BIG baby! So cool!!

Bird nerd alert lol... by the time those owls fledge (leave the nest) at about 3-4 months old, they're already full-grown! So, big baby indeed! I love their baby fluff though

 

[junebug17]

Such a BIG baby! So cool!!

Bird nerd alert lol... by the time those owls fledge (leave the nest) at about 3-4 months old, they're already full-grown! So, big baby indeed! I love their baby fluff though

Ah ok, I'm so easily confused these days - I'm an idiot and thought this was the mama! That's interesting, did not know that!

Very cool pic! I love owls!

 

[JewelFreak]

I didn't know that either -- wondered why he looked so big. What a neat gift, to be able to see him. Hope he gets off the ground before something hungry notices him.

We have a horned owl in our back yard. Rarely see him, except in such fast flight you get a look only at a huuuge wingspread. He calls all night long to his lady in the spring & she answers from the pasture across the street. I say hi when I take the dog out at night.

--- Laurie

 

[amc80]

Such a BIG baby! So cool!!

Bird nerd alert lol... by the time those owls fledge (leave the nest) at about 3-4 months old, they're already full-grown! So, big baby indeed! I love their baby fluff though

This guy isn't that old. Maybe two months? I don't think he actually meant to leave the nest. Mama owl is about twice his size.

 

[quaddio]

Stunning! Wear it in good health.

 

[lioness]

That stern, severe look on its face is priceless!

 

[OreoRosies86]

Stunning! Wear it in good health.

Everyone is wearing baby owls this season!

 

[sonnyjane]

Such a BIG baby! So cool!!

Bird nerd alert lol... by the time those owls fledge (leave the nest) at about 3-4 months old, they're already full-grown! So, big baby indeed! I love their baby fluff though

This guy isn't that old. Maybe two months? I don't think he actually meant to leave the nest. Mama owl is about twice his size.

Ahh. Possible. Keep in mind that female raptors are 30% to 40% larger than males so if he's a bouncing baby boy he will never be close to as big as mom. He could be fledged already since he made his way up the tree.

 

[minousbijoux]

Sonnyjane, you are just a font of owl information! This is way cool to see. Such a big fuzzy tough guy!

amc80, thanks so much for sharing this.

 

[sonnyjane]

Sonnyjane, you are just a font of owl information! This is way cool to see. Such a big fuzzy tough guy!

amc80, thanks so much for sharing this.

I used to train and raise birds at the zoo, including owls!

This is Benjamin, a Eurasian Eagle Owl who I raised since 10 weeks:

And this is Owly, a Burrowing Owl that I raised since about 12 weeks:


I think this is a pic I've posted before, I believe this is Ziggy, another Eurasian (I love owls lol):

 

[ForteKitty]

Sonnyjane, you have the best job in the world. They're all so cute.

 

[sonnyjane]

Sonnyjane, you have the best job in the world. They're all so cute.

It was pretty great. In January, after 4 years, I actually ended up moving on to work for a whale-watching company which is another great gig but this thread made me a bit nostalgic!

 

[amc80]

Ahh. Possible. Keep in mind that female raptors are 30% to 40% larger than males so if he's a bouncing baby boy he will never be close to as big as mom. He could be fledged already since he made his way up the tree.

Oh neat! It was sort of funny. We were all worried because we hadn't seen him since seeing him on the ground yesterday. (I say him...but have no idea if it's a he or she.) Everyone was looking everywhere for him. Security even put up signs on the doors to the courtyard telling people to not go out there and to leave the owl alone. We all got a shock when we were in a conference room, looked out the window, and there he was, staring right at us! I hope mama owl stays after he leaves. Will she reuse her nest? Or find a new home?

 

[sonnyjane]

Ahh. Possible. Keep in mind that female raptors are 30% to 40% larger than males so if he's a bouncing baby boy he will never be close to as big as mom. He could be fledged already since he made his way up the tree.

Oh neat! It was sort of funny. We were all worried because we hadn't seen him since seeing him on the ground yesterday. (I say him...but have no idea if it's a he or she.) Everyone was looking everywhere for him. Security even put up signs on the doors to the courtyard telling people to not go out there and to leave the owl alone. We all got a shock when we were in a conference room, looked out the window, and there he was, staring right at us! I hope mama owl stays after he leaves. Will she reuse her nest? Or find a new home?

Ooooh good question! If there's no reason to leave, she could come back to the same area - probably not the same exact tree or nest unless it's still intact next year - but they usual maintain the same general territory.

 

[zoebartlett]

Beautiful owl, amc! Big baby!

Congratulations on your new job, Sonnyjane!

 

[missy]

Here s/he is-

Beautiful owl Zoe.

Sonnyjane, you are just a font of owl information! This is way cool to see. Such a big fuzzy tough guy!

amc80, thanks so much for sharing this.

I used to train and raise birds at the zoo, including owls!

This is Benjamin, a Eurasian Eagle Owl who I raised since 10 weeks:

And this is Owly, a Burrowing Owl that I raised since about 12 weeks:


I think this is a pic I've posted before, I believe this is Ziggy, another Eurasian (I love owls lol):

Sonnyjane, that pic of you kissing owly is the sweetest picture! OMG so amazing you get to kiss that beautiful baby.

 

[JewelFreak]

Sonnyjane, do the mama owls leave them as soon as they fledge? Don't they keep feeding for a while?

If I could re-do the last umpteen years, I'd have your job(s)!!

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

Cute big fuzzball. I need a cute emoticon!

 

[sonnyjane]

Sonnyjane, do the mama owls leave them as soon as they fledge? Don't they keep feeding for a while?

If I could re-do the last umpteen years, I'd have your job(s)!!

--- Laurie

It usually takes about a month to hatch and then mom will feed them for 4-6 weeks but then they are on their own! Most raptors don't spend a lot of time with their babies (some exceptions, including some eagles, but not most owls).

 

[minousbijoux]

amc80: I hope you don't mind the continued threadjack, but Sonnyjane, if you raised them from when they were that young, are/were they specially attached to you? Did they cuddle back when you cuddled them?

 

[sonnyjane]

amc80: I hope you don't mind the continued threadjack, but Sonnyjane, if you raised them from when they were that young, are/were they specially attached to you? Did they cuddle back when you cuddled them?

Yes, sorry AMC!

Owls are NOT very smart birds, so they recognized me as someone that fed them as opposed to being aggressive or afraid when strangers came by, but raptors are not affectionate like parrots, for example. In that picture when I'm kissing that owl, in order for me to be able to do that, I had to scratch her chin to put her in a little "trance" and then I could kiss her head lol. Most raptors aren't affectionate.

 

[amc80]

Oh, I don't mind at all. It's all fascinating!

 

[minousbijoux]

So don't go trying to cuddle your new friend, amc!

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

Stunning! Wear it in good health.

Everyone is wearing baby owls this season!

First off, hahahhaa! Was that a glitch?

And secondly, I love watching animals grow up! DH thinks I am very creepy for wanting one of those bird house things on the infomercials. The kind you stick on your window and you can see them grow up. He says I'm a creeper with animals. I just love them!

It would be so amazing to see an owl in real life. I love this time of season though because we get quails. I love the mommy and daddy quails and their little babies in a row.