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US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com
Australia Rescue Help: WIRES
Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org
If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
Community Rules:
Posts must be about owls. Especially appreciated are photographs (not AI) and scientific content, but artwork, articles, news stories, personal experiences and more are welcome too.
Be kind. If a post or comment bothers you, or strikes you as offensive in any way, please report it and moderators will take appropriate action.
AI is discouraged. If you feel strongly that the community would benefit from a post that involves AI you may submit it, but it might be removed if the moderators feel that it is low-effort or irrelevant.
Also visit our twinned community for wholesome content:
From Ohio Bird Sanctuary
Remember this Screech Owl that had an unfortunate run-in with a chain saw? Today it underwent an imping procedure whereby donor feathers were used to replace missing and damaged ones. Our Bird Care staff do this delicate and specialized procedure right on-site in our Avian Hospital. Thankfully, the little owl patient is recovering well so far!
Here you can see the bird under anesthesia as well as the donor wing.
Imping pins are selected to fit inside both the donor feather and to create the bridge into the living animal's feather. Adhesive is applied to secure everything!
Matching-up the feathers and getting the correct length
Get well soon, little one, I hope you get to fly high again.
It looks to be in wonderful hands!
Do the new/repaired feathers 'grow out ' and new ones grow in? Or is this it now, and if so how long does the repairs last etc?
They will fall out when he molts next. It will be like a normal molt for him. :)
Yup, as long as the follicles the feathers grow from are not damaged, these should last until they are dropped naturally.
If they didn't do this, it wouldn't be able to fly (or at least well enough to be on its own) until new ones came in, which would be up to a year or so.
Amazing. Love to the Screechie.
I am glad the tree people got it to the hospitowl.
*golf clap*
R.i.p to the bird that gave up the "donor" wing 😥
Donors of every variety are crucial. Specimens from departed owls have inspired people like myself to keep learning about these amazing animals and get involved hands-on with their care, and there are practical applications like the feather replacement done here.
It's sad when animals pass, but at least this way it's not a total loss, and this owl's life will be all the better for it.
Wow! (He looks so disgruntled in the first pic, though. 😂)
Poor little one lost his house, transportation, and got woken up from his nap all at once!
Thankfully its floof saved it from more than that 😮
What a way to be woken up!