First lets focus on the Barn Owl. These owls are cute but they can be very mean! When feeling threatened they open their wings and bob their head from side to side, but when this doesn't work they emit this ear piercing screech. I got to experience this screech in ICU one day when I was assigned to grab a barn owl. I open the cage and immediately I get the spread wings and head bob, I strike fast for the grab and thats when the screaming begins. OH MY GOSH, it was so loud. Part of my head was in the enclosure because I had to lean in to grab and owl and the screech was just bouncing off the cage walls and it just amplified the volume. Even my gut instincts in me were telling me to " put the bird down and walk away!" but of course i had to persist and grab the owl so we could deliver the proper meds. The owl kept screeching and screeching! We quickly finished up the meds and put the owl back into its enclosure with some yummy mice to calm him back down. Below is the picture of me holding the owl and I also put a video of the barn owl screech so you can hear what it sounds like.
I will not have any more long gaps between posts I promise! Next post I will talk about the California Condor #22 we are saving.
