owl_eye_issue4_online

Owl Foster Mom at Liberty Wildlife in
Arizona gives baby Owls a new Shot at Life
Summarized from Original article from AZCentral Arizona Republic Newspaper
article by Katie Faller
April 18th 2016
Liberty Wildlife in Arizona has given four baby Great Horned Owls
a new chance at life after a resident in Tolleson, AZ reported that
the owlet’s mother had been illegally shot this past Spring. Unable to
survive or care for her young owls, the mother owl was put down.
Arizona Game and Fish also proclaimed that the father owl was not
able to care for all four owls.
Luckily for the baby Great Horned owlets. Liberty Wildlife could
provide them with a foster mom named Maggie. As a foster owl mom,
Maggie lays unfirtilized egges (being that she doesn’t mate with male
owls). The unfirtilized eggs are then switched out for the babies that
need her help in learning how to be owls.
Maggie has been a foster owl mom at Liberty Wildlife since 2003.
She is a rescue bird herself and is not the only foster bird there.
Maggie is excellent at her job since the baby owls are usually scared
and confused when they first arrive at Liberty. After a little while
with Maggie, they settle down and start learning to fly around the
cage. Maggie has to show them what they need to know, so having
her around is very important. Humans may be able to help owls
rehabilitate when they are injured as adults, but it is very difficult for
humans to teach a bird to fly.
Laura Hackett, program scheduler and specialist at Liberty Wildlife
says, “That’s what’s great about having her; the babies can learn that
language,” Hackett said. “So they listen to mom and learn the different
sounds that they are going to have to make to defend themselves in
the wild,” -AZ Republic.
After a few weeks with Maggie, the babies will move on to a bigger
cage with a mentor bird. This mentor will teach the owlets how
to hunt so that they can survive without parents in the wild when
they are released. Liberty expects that the babies will be able to be
released in June or July.
Liberty Wildlife has many different kinds of birds in their foster
programs including barn and burrowing owls, Harris’s and Red-tailed
hawks, kestrels, California condors, falcons and a bald eagle. For more
information about Liberty Wildlife please visit their site at: www.
libertywildlife.org
“That’s what’s
great about
having her; the
babies can learn
that language,”
Hackett said. “So
they listen to mom
and learn the
different sounds that
they are going to have
to make to defend
themselves in the wild,”
- Laura Hackett by AZ
Republic
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