From REGI
Great-horned Owl Goes from Recovering from Crashing Through a Window at Menards, Plover, to Happy Distraction while in Rehabilitation.
Our work at REGI can be challenging and sometimes very long hours, but there are moments of true magic as well. The joy of those moments doesn't go unnoticed by our staff and interns. One such story illustrates this. Our patients often find themselves in difficult situations. On June 26, 2025, we received a call from The Menards in Plover, WI, about a Great Horned Owl (GHO) that had crashed through a store window. We know that commercial windows are robust! Great Horned Owls weigh only 2-4 lbs., and with their soft feathers, they aren't fast in flight, so they wouldn't have exerted much impact. When we first heard about the incident, we suspected that the owl might be deceased or critically injured due to the severity of the situation. It was June 26, 2025, when our REGI volunteer transporter, Mark O'Shasky, picked up the injured owl and took her to REGI for care. She was still in the transport box when we opened it. Blood was pouring from her beak, which had soaked feathers around her head and chest, a clear image of an owl that had crashed headfirst through a sturdy window. However, she was, by some miracle, alive, and we went to work on her.
We also knew that this was an adult female Great- Horned Owl. She and her lifelong mate were still caring for their owlets at the time of her injury. We hoped her mate was a good provider for his chicks. It is the male who is usually the best hunter, bringing in lots of mice and rats for the family as they grow and develop.
(Young GHOs can eat 13-17 mice a night each by the age of 3 weeks.) Dad also helps teach the owlets how to hunt.
The GREAT news is that not only has our patient survived! But this sweet female owl took on a "job" as she was recovering at REGI. It seems "Menards" (her rehabilitation name) was missing her own owlets. She was excited to be near the younger owls housed in adjoining enclosures and began communicating with them in her "momma voice". As soon as she recovered enough to be flying, she began assisting REGI's foster owl, POPS, caring for the owlets that he had raised since they were very young. Over the past few months, several other older owlets were admitted due to injuries when they were still too young to be separated from their parents. "Menards' MOM" rose to the occasion, taking care of those youngsters under her ample wings, and gave the owlets a parent figure. In return, Menards' owl got owlets to care for, taking her mind off her own family. The GHO conditioning flight is now filled with joyful hooting and cooing sounds as our recovering adult, POPS, the foster, and now older juveniles keep each other company and continue the learning experience from the adults as they prepare for release. "Menards" owl has found fulfillment in the flight.
There are two special youngsters that she preens daily and cares for with exceptional dedication. We are hoping they can be released together as the family they have become.
