Well-meaning wildlife lovers have unwittingly halved the survival prospects of tawny owl chicks by mistaking them for orphans, conservationists warned. Five of the downy chicks were “rescued” and brought to Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve after being discovered grounded, wide-eyed and calling out for food. But officers at the Hawk and Owl Trust said the behaviour was a natural part of the species' fledging process and the young owls now faced a battle to survive after being taken away from their parents.
Tawny owls leave their nests when they are only a month old - and several weeks before they are fully feathered. But despite their apparent vulnerability, they will “squeak” to attract their parents when they return from night-time hunting trips, and are able to climb trees using their talons and beaks.
A conservation officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust, said the reserve was fielding eight enquiries a week from people who had found the distinctive mottled brown birds on the ground.
“Most of the time we are able to advise people to leave them where they are,” he said. “By taking them away from their parents, the chance of the bird surviving is cut by half. Unless they are in immediate danger from dogs or by being on a road or footpath, our message is simply to leave them alone.”
Although the Hawk and Owl Trust is not a rehabilitation charity, the five tawny owls have been re-homed in a nesting box and are being fed with white mice until they are ready to leave.
http://www.hawkandowl.org/SculthorpeHome/
Tawny owls leave their nests when they are only a month old - and several weeks before they are fully feathered. But despite their apparent vulnerability, they will “squeak” to attract their parents when they return from night-time hunting trips, and are able to climb trees using their talons and beaks.
A conservation officer for the Hawk and Owl Trust, said the reserve was fielding eight enquiries a week from people who had found the distinctive mottled brown birds on the ground.
“Most of the time we are able to advise people to leave them where they are,” he said. “By taking them away from their parents, the chance of the bird surviving is cut by half. Unless they are in immediate danger from dogs or by being on a road or footpath, our message is simply to leave them alone.”
Although the Hawk and Owl Trust is not a rehabilitation charity, the five tawny owls have been re-homed in a nesting box and are being fed with white mice until they are ready to leave.
http://www.hawkandowl.org/SculthorpeHome/
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