It's been raining all day so I'm assuming this little guy? girl? fell out of the tree and was too wet to fly back up tonight. My sister found my daughters dog about to eat it and snatched it up from the dog. I'm keeping it in the house until the rain stops and it can get back to it's home but I'm curious what kind it is. My dad says it's a burrowing owl but I have no idea about owls.
Look's like a juvenile Eastern Screech Owl.
Ditto to juvenile Eastern Screech Owl.
Resin
Hi Tygg,
It's a juvenile Great horned owl. (Bubo virginianus)
S/he is past the fledgling stage, but likely did something stupid (like we all do when young) and wound up on the ground.
The adult western version of this bird has a wing span of up to four FEET, seven inches. The Eastern, as yours is, will grow to a three FOOT, six inch wing span.
Though they are light, generally getting up to 3+(a little) pounds, they can kill animals
quite a bit heavier than they are and pick them up , flying away with them. They are powerful, silent flyers.
This is not a bird you are likely to develop a "friendship" with, as they are very wild.
Best of luck to you. Let him go (very soon) at night!
Too small for a Great Horned Owl!
Resin
Sticking with juvenile E. Screech Owl http://www.owlpages.com/gallery.php?section=species&cat=Megascops&sub=asio
As a Bird of Prey rehabber, I have LOTS of these guys right now! It's a juvie Gray Morph Screechie.
See the feathers on its abdomen? The horizontal stripes mean it's a baby. When Screechies reach adulthood, those feathers will be replaced by feathers which are striated vertically.
Screech Owls, like Great Horned Owls, have ear tufts (although their ears aren't located there), so frequently, they're mistaken for baby GHOs. It's an easy mistake to make, until you see a baby GHO - they're over a foot tall as nestlings. Here's a pic of one I had a few years ago at about the same stage of development as the one you have. Wings were irreparably broken as a chick due to Mom's calcium deficiency, so she's now a permie & another rehabber uses her for education. Notice the scale & you'll see her size - she's eating a full grown rat & that's a large carrier behind her. And the talons -- there's no missing those!
I'm assuming you've put the bird back outside - right?
Chris
BOP/Avian Rehabber
Tampa Bay
