Rescued owl finds freedom
Published: July 26, 2006
A Great Horned Owl glided through the skies over Old Hickory Lake after being released back into the wild Monday in search of a new home.
The solo flight, near the park at Lock 4 Road, was the payoff for spectators and wildlife conservationists at Tangled Wing Wildcare Conservancy and Walden’s Puddle, who raised the owl in captivity for about three months.
It was a homecoming of sorts for the owl, which hatched out of an egg its mother had laid in the pot of an ornamental tree at the Fairvue Plantation home of Bobby Reed and Susan Maddux, owners of Gracie May the goat.
Gracie May is a pet pygmy goat recently evicted from Fairvue Plantation by the Gallatin City Court.
The owl’s release is the latest example of the work wildlife conservationists are doing to preserve and create natural habitats for animals in fast-growing cities like Gallatin.
“It was a near-perfect release. Its first flight into the wild was absolutely beautiful,” said Lee Ann Faust, the director of the conservancy. “It was a strong flight. It glided over the little inlet over the park, and its first perch was in the top of the old oak tree at the end of the park.
“It surveyed the territory from there. We noted about 10 minutes later it flew back over the little inlet into the woods. It has a new home and a new territory.”
Spectators who were present for the owl’s release marveled over the creature’s size, its large, expressive, yellow eyes and its four-foot wingspan.
“It was awesome,” said Joy Shriver of Gallatin. “I was expecting a little owl. This thing was huge. Watching her with the big, yellow eyes, it was just fantastic. I was so glad I was there. It was absolutely gorgeous.”
Distinguishing features of the Great Horned Owl include large ear tufts, a reddish face, a white patch on its throat and large, yellow eyes.
As development encroaches upon formerly rural areas, there’s bound to be more contact between people and their “wild neighbors,” like owls, Faust said.
“We really need to take a stronger and continued look at wildlife populations in the area because of all the development,” she said. “With development going on, our wildlife populations are running out of nesting, feeding and shelter areas. It takes wildlife a time to compensate for the loss of habitation.”
As Gallatin’s landscape changes, the need for more natural areas will become even more important here, Faust said.
“One of the most important things that can be done for habitation, for air and for soil, is protecting and planting native trees,” she said.
The owl was released close to its birthplace near Old Hickory Lake. The bird spent the first five weeks of its life in the pot of an ornamental tree, while its parents watched over it from a nearby perch, swooping down every so often to feed it.
The coming of spring and warm weather brought more people into the neighborhood, frightening the owl and its parents, who began to feed the owlet less and less.
“It was hopping out of the planter, looking for its parents to feed it,” Faust said. “We took it to Walden’s Puddle. We don’t have the facilities for raptors right now. Walden’s Puddle raised this little guy.”
During its stay at the Joelton-based conservancy, the owlet went through “mouse school” and flight practice to prepare the bird of prey for life in the wild.
“The primary diet for Great Horned Owls is rabbits, Eastern Cottontail. They are tremendous mousers,” Faust said. “They eat rodents of every stripe. They have a diverse diet. They eat insects, snakes, birds and even other owls. Their primary diet is rabbits and rodents.”
Its diverse diet is a good indication of survival in the natural habitat. During captivity, there is limited contact between the animals and their caretakers to avoid domesticating the creatures.
“Once these animals are large enough to start feeding on their own and learning to fly, they’re put out into release cages. They’re away from where people would be milling or seen,” Faust said.
“The only contact they have with folks is when they’re fed or watered or observed. They have very little contact, and they’re not handled at all. While they’re being raised or treated, they’re handled as infrequently as possible.”
Tangled Wing took in more than 100 animals last year and released more than half of those back into the wild. Walden’s Puddle cares for thousands of animals and releases about half of those each year.
The release of the owl here struck a chord, Faust said, describing a flurry of e-mails to Tangled Wing in support of the cause in recent days.
That underscores the importance of preserving and creating natural habitats, said Shriver, a member of the board of directors at the conservancy.
“There are people who are very interested in this kind of thing — in returning things to the wild and keeping the wild,” she said. “We’re becoming so populated, I’m afraid nature is suffering for it. I want to keep a place for these animals.”
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