Great Horned Owl Quartet
"Adopt" one (or all) of the four!
Funky Feathers: In June 1992, this owl was brought to the CRC as "an abandoned juvenile." It was unable to fly well, and on examination, proved to have poorly developed feathers. Biopsies revealed inflammation of the feather follicles and further tests showed follicle dysplasia. The feathers can never grow correctly, so the condition is permanent. We call this owl "Funky Feathers" because it always looks so unkempt. It has been observed grooming and preening, but that doesn't seem to help.
Minerva: This owl came to the CRC from the Silverado Veterinary Clinic in Angwin, California on July 30, 2008. The UCD Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital found a damaged right radius/ulna, described as a "chronic folded fracture." With this unresolvable condition, the bird was deemed unreleasable.
Waldorf: On November 17, 2006, this great horned owl was found as an adult in a nearby alfalfa field, unable to fly. X-rays at the UCD Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital revealed a badly fractured humerus. The wing did not heal well enough for sustained flight, so the bird was deemed unreleasable.
Statler: This owl was the first bird to come in to the CRC in 2008. On January 4th of that year, it was brought to us as an adult by the Suisun Wildlife Center, missing a talon (number 3) on the right foot. This grew in abnormally, but the bird might have been releasable if not for the left wing-tip showing soft-tissue injuries. Its flight ability was permanently compromised.