Latest news with #GreatHornedOwl
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hissing owls heard in Ohio: Here's what it means
[WATCH: In the video player above, get a rare look at Great Horned Owl nest.] (WJW) — What's that sound? Wildlife experts in Ohio say an eerie hissing sound coming from the trees could be a young barred owl calling out to its parents for food. Tick-related emergency room visits have doubled: Cleveland Clinic physician In a recent post to the Ohio Division of Wildlife Facebook page, officials shared a picture of a young barred owl they said was recently spotted in a central Ohio backyard where several more owls were seen flying and at least one was hissing. According to the post, juveniles use this call to signal to their parents they are hungry. The Geauga Park District has previously addressed similar reports after a shrill-like call was heard in Novelty. Naturalist Tami Gingrich explained, 'It's an eerie sound but very distinct.' Smell that? Corpse flower blooms at Akron greenhouse According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, barred owls typically hatch from late March into mid-April. But they are not able to fly until seven to nine weeks of age. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Auburn University Raptor Center's foster parents helping orphaned Owls return to wild
AUBURN, Ala. — At Auburn University's Raptor Center, the work of saving injured and orphaned birds of prey often relies on some very special members of the team: their full-time, non-releasable foster raptors. Among them is Echo, a Great Horned Owl who has lived at the center for 20 years after suffering a wing injury that made her unable to survive in the wild. Echo now serves as a foster parent to orphaned owlets brought into the center's rehabilitation clinic — an effort that dramatically increases the birds' chances of a successful release. 'Here at the rehabilitation clinic, we have full-time fosters that are non-releasable residents,' said Dr. Robyn Miller, Director of the Auburn University Raptor Center. 'These fosters are wild birds that are able to raise orphans brought into our hospital, allowing them to imprint on their own kind and therefore increasing the likelihood of a successful release.' Echo is a standout foster, fiercely defensive towards humans — exactly the behavior experts hope young raptors will learn. 'She teaches them to be defensive around humans. She preens them, she feeds them, and she is always quick to take these fosters in as her own,' Dr. Miller explained. 'Echo is spicy, she's fiercely independent, and she's the boss of this rehabilitation clinic in many respects.' Because human interaction can be harmful to the rehabilitation process, staff monitor Echo and her companion, Sam — another non-releasable Great Horned Owl — mainly through closed-circuit surveillance cameras. WRBL was provided special remote footage to share with viewers, honoring the center's mission to minimize human presence around the young owlets. Sam, who arrived about a year ago after suffering a broken wing, is more protective than nurturing but plays a vital role in modeling survival behaviors for the young birds. 'Our goal is to have fosters that can support any incoming patient that comes through,' Miller said. 'Red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, and screech owls also serve as foster parents at the center, helping to prepare orphaned wildlife for life back in the wild.' Stephanie Kadletz, Assistant Director of Raptor Rehabilitation, emphasized the importance of responsible wildlife rescue. 'Oftentimes when a young raptor is seen on the ground, it's simply exploring, with a parent nearby keeping watch,' she said. 'Because raptors have such strong talons, they can often climb back into their nests even if they cannot fly. Before you intervene, it's critical to be sure the bird truly needs help.' Outdoor Alabama maintains a list of licensed rehabilitators across the state for those who encounter wildlife in distress. Kadletz urged the public never to offer food or water to wild birds, which could lead to harmful human imprinting — something best left to seasoned foster parents like Echo. Dr. Amberley Sokoloff, veterinarian at the AU Raptor Center, captured the spirit of the mission simply. 'What does it feel like to have a successful release into the wild?' she said. 'There's nothing better in the world.' 'It's truly amazing to get these animals back into the wild where they belong,' added Kadletz. Currently, Echo and Sam are caring for six young Great Horned Owls — many of which arrived after falling from nests and sustaining injuries. Thanks to their wild foster parents, these owlets are well on their way to one day soaring free. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Athena the Owl named Austin's official owl ambassador
AUSTIN (KXAN) — She is beauty, she is grace. She is Austin's official owl ambassador! RELATED | Athena's owl cam captures egg cracking, owlet breaking free at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center After years of being a nocturnal aviary legend in the city, Austin honored Athena, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's resident Great Horned Owl, with the proclamation at a ceremony Friday morning. The proclamation came just days after both of Athena's eggs hatched. The first owlet broke out of its shell Wednesday — the second on Thursday. Athena's owlets are hatching, so what's next? For years, Athena has made her nest at the southwest Austin center. This was her 13th season, according to the city. The owlets are expected to stay in the nest for the next four months while they learn important skills before leaving completely. Watch Athena and her owlets through the LBJ Wildflower Center and Cornell Labs owl cam. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Athena's owl cam captures egg cracking, owlet breaking free at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Athena, the Great Horned Owl who nests at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, surprised owl cam viewers Wednesday by displaying a cracked egg and later the first owlet fully hatching in her nest. According to the Wildflower Center, Athena first arrived at the nest on March 5, and by March 6, she had laid her first egg. Her second egg was laid on March 9. Owl eggs typically take around 30 to 37 days to begin hatching—a process that usually lasts several days and not all at once. According to the Owl Research Institute, a female Great Horned Owl typically lays anywhere from one to four eggs; however, the most common is two. Immediately after laying her first egg, they are incubated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Owl visits KXAN studio. Could it be an omen, or is it looking for love? Maybe both
AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN had a hoot with a certain special visitor Thursday morning. An owl briefly visited the studio early Thursday, landing in front of our KXAN Weather Cam on top of the building before flying away after about 15 minutes. Though owls are not uncommon sightings in Central Texas, it's not every day that we see anything beyond the visual weather conditions over downtown Austin through that camera's view. According to the Travis Audubon, Austin is home to three common owl species — Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl and Eastern Screech-Owl. RELATED | November bird forecast: Do owls live in Austin? Austin has become well-acquainted with one owl in particular — Athena the Owl, a Great Horned Owl who lives and nests over at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She returned to her nest earlier this month for the 13th year in a row. Athena and her mate have nested at the center for more than a decade, with her nestling into a space above the wildflower center's courtyard entrance. The center partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to set up an owl camera feed that can be viewed on the wildflower center's YouTube page. Athena the Owl nesting at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for 13th year We think our Weather Cam Owl could have been another Great Horned, based on descriptions from the Travis Audubon, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department described the Great Horned Owl as the largest species of owl in the state, and according to the Texas Breeding Bird Atlas from Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the Great Horned Owl is currently at the peak of its breeding season, which extends from December to late July. The atlas recorded nests with eggs between March 20 and May 21 and nests with young between January 31 and June 10. Could our visitor have been some kind of omen? Owls are often associated with different myths and fascinations in various cultures. The nocturnal bird of prey is perhaps most well-known for its ties to Greek mythology, in which it is the symbol of Athena — the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and handicrafts, per Britannica. Owls are also nocturnal creatures, so maybe it was simply telling us we work too early in the day… Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
