Saw-whet Owl Release
November 1, 2004 - Northern Saw-whet Owl released
A Northern Saw-whet Owl was found near a church in
downtown Springfield on September 28th, with a drooping right wing but no
fracture. She probably hit a window. This kind of collision can result in
deep muscle bruising that sometimes takes weeks to heal; at first they
refuse even to try to fly; then they can fly down, then horizontally, and
eventually can fly up. This little owl was released on November 1st, all
systems functioning fine, finally! Since saw-whets migrate into and
through the valley at this time of the year, probably without having a set
territory, and since downtown Springfield isn't necessarily their preferred
habitat, we released her here.
