From Cape Wildlife Center:
This female eastern screech owl was brought in to our Cape hospital after being hit by a car and becoming stuck in the grill.
Miraculously, she didn’t sustain any fractures and only had some very minor ocular trauma. But there was still more going on than met the eye…
On exam, a closer look revealed something important. There was an area of feathers missing over the front of her body.
This is called a brood patch - a naturally featherless area where the skin has an increased blood supply to help maintain heat for incubating eggs.
When our vet team saw this, they knew she was either already incubating eggs or getting ready to lay.
Although no eggs were seen on radiographs, that doesn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t gravid. Some fun facts: only female screech owls develop brood patches, and eggs aren’t always calcified enough to show up on X-rays until just before they are laid.
Once eggs are laid, the female owls typically remain on the nest to incubate while the male brings food back to them.
Because of this finding, and the fact that her injuries were minor, we treated her with fluids and pain medication to support her recovery, and made the decision to release her as soon as possible back to where she was found, so she could return to her nest.
I do! This spring I have been made the shift “Squirrel Captain” to train all the new volunteers on squirrels, the first animals we learn to take care of. I’m currently prepping a lot of stuff for our open house. I’m running the owl station and one on animal homes (how to make houses for toads/frogs/songbirds/owls/bats).
Our current patients include a bald eagle, a pair of Great Horned babies, and a Pileated Woodpecker. It’s so fun getting up close to ask these animals.
That is so amazing! You inspire me.
If you ever have any questions about it or anything, jump in a thread or DM me. I love talking about what I learn.
Today was slow so I got to do some extra stuff.
I took some new staff to see our new eagle guest.
He’s in a huge flight pen, hence the very zoomed pic.
I fed the 2 big Great Horned babies and one tried to bit me. We also had another upstairs, next to 2 very tiny Screech babies. They’re all too new yet so I didn’t bother them taking a pic.
We had 2 baby foxes run up to the fencing yipping and tail wagging for food.
I fed a oppossum baby dog food and oppossum milk.
I got a refresher on feeding baby finches.
I also did a round visiting the ambassadors and the Pileated Woodpecker because he is just so cool!
Also got some lady squared away with the rehab er as she had found 2 lost baby raccoons in her yard.
Oh, and I also got to meet our new groundhog baby, Meatball, in person!
I also did my regular rounds helping the new volunteers with squirrels.
And that’s all in one 4 hour shift! If anyone loves animals, I think it’s worth trying out at some point getting involved. I love it, but my wife is trying it this year and she loves looking at the animals, but I think they’re too chaotic for her and she’d rather just play with puppies, so I don’t know if she’ll be back next year 😅 But you only know if you give it a try!