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SAGE and LUNAR
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS
CHESTNUT
GREAT HORNED OWL
SOME OF OUR RESIDENT BIRDS
LOKI
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AUTUMN
RED TAILED HAWK
CROWE
AMERICAN CROW
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NUTMEG
GREAT HORNED OWL
These small owls measure only about 6 inches high! They are not babies, this is their full grown size. These smaller Birds of Prey may look like characters from a cartoon, but they are not to be dismissed in the world of predator vs prey. These little, nocturnal owls sport sharp talons and excellent eyesight and hearing so that they are capable of hunting at night. Both resident owls were hit by vehicles and will live out the rest of their lives at our facility. We are honored to have them. In the wild, these owls are most often seen during the cold season as they migrate down from Canada and reside in low, moist, coniferous woodlands.
These owls are one of the largest found throughout North America. Nicknamed the "tigers of the skies" by native americans, these owls have the reputation of being the most agressive owl. They are fierce predators with exceptional vision and hearing. Mostly nocturnal, these are the owls also known at the "hoot" owls. This owl measures around 20 inches in height and has large yellow-orange eyes. They are found in all kinds of environments and eat a variety of prey. The favorite food of a Great Horned Owl is a skunk!!! that only proves their sense of smell is not as refined as their other senses. Chestnut was hit by a car and has a damaged wing. He is unable to fly and will live out his life at our facility. A welcome resident as he is one of our program favorites!
Autumn Spirit is another program favorite! Her intense presence and her strong desire to please the crowd makes her a very special teacher indeed. Autumn was struck by a car and found lying on the side of the road severely injured. It seemed unlikely that she would survive the serious effects of her ordeal. Grace Krick rehabilitated her and found her to be an incredible patient. She only wanted to live. Her strong will to survive reminds us all how important it is to simply be alive. Red Tailed Hawks are the most widely distributed hawks from Alaska, U.S., Central America and the Virgin Islands. This may be due to the fact that they are so adaptable and can live just about anywehre. Pale Male, for example, lives in the busy streets of New York City! These large majestic birds can have a wingspan up to four feet and weigh in at around 3 pounds! The name comes from the russett red tail feathers of the adult two year olds and up. Juvenile hawks sport black and white banded tails.
.Crowe was born in the year 2007. He came to us after suffering from a severe upper respiratory infection. He had a double eye and ear infection and had lost his ability to see or hear. This illness kept him from interacting with other crows his age. By the time he had recovered,he no longer viewed himself as a crow. He is fun during programs because he makes all kinds of unusual grunts and whines. He is 100% healthy now and houses next door to a resident raven. The two interact daily as they trade toys and food items under the fence. It is a joy to witness the intelligent interactions amongst our two resident corvids. Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Bluejays make up the corvid family. This group of birds are the top in avian intelligence.
Nutmeg is our female Great Horned Owl. She houses with Chestnut and the two of them get along famously! Nutmeg was found in the road, presumably struck by a car. Her right eye is blind and we have recently discovered that she is completely deaf. This is most likely due to the collision. Often when eyes are affected, so are the ears. Unable to survive on her own, she will reside at our facility and soon be trained for programs! We look forward to sharing her with the public, as she is a fascinating girl!
Loki, our Common Raven is anything but common! She, who was once thought to be a he, was born in the year 2005. Loki was raised by a human and was free to come and go as she pleased. She approached a stranger in the park who was eating his lunch and came too close to see if she could get a taste of his delicious sandwich. As Loki moved in, the surprised human struck out in defense and ended up striking her hard enough to un-intentionally break her right leg. After this unfortunate incident, it became clear that for the safety of this raven, she needed to live out her life at a facility. We are lucky to have her living with us and we love her every move!!! She is funny, intelligent and delightful to interact with. She has six different voices and talks away to our resident crow and the visiting squirrels. We hope to someday share Loki in programs with the public. In the meantime, touring our facility offers visitors an opportunity to meet our favorite raven!!! Ravens are rare in our parts, but are becoming more abundant. Intelligent and larger than the crow, Ravens are a joy to experience! Call us for an appointment!
LOKI
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DAWN
SNOWBALL
Both Dawn and Snowball are Eastern Screech Owls. These owls are the smallest year round residents here in CT. They weigh all of 7 - 8 ounces! They measure all of 7 inches! but don't be fooled by their small stature, these are Birds of Prey and sport the same design as their bigger relatives. Eastern Screech Owls come in two color phases, red and grey. Both are perfect examples of their species.
Since these owls are cavity dwellers, Dawn was injured when she decided it was a good idea to rest inside of a Chimney. When the home owner lit the first seasonal fire, Dawn was trapped. In her attempts to escape, she banged around inside of the hot chimney desperate to escape. The fire was immediatley put out and a rescuer was called. Dawn was burned and suffered damage to her left wing. Her wing is what we refer to as "frozen". It does not fully extend so therefore she is unable to fly. She was very lucky and is a lesson for all home owners to secure chimney caps to their chimneys.
Snowball flew into a mans truck one winter morning. He was on his way to a friends house when he heard a thump. He kept driving since he assumed a kid had thrown a snowball at his truck, hence the name. When he reached his destination, he found this little owl in the back of his truck bed in a heap of feathers. Snowball suffered from head truama and is now blind in her left eye. She is happy to be safe and secure and she now houses with Dawn at our facility. Both owls are a joy to share in programs and represent the two color phases beautifully!
