The pictures in this post are so beautiful! Be sure to check them all out. Good luck, Owlbert!

From Middle TN Raptor Center

Today is a day to celebrate. After two molts, one failed release, and nine months in rehabilitation, Owlbert the Great Horned Owl from Cannon County got his freedom day today. He came to us on April 24th, 2024 with a bad pellet wound in his wing. After removing all of the damaged feathers and waiting for them to grow back in (twice!), Owlbert flew free this morning.

The first time we tried to release him, his feathers just weren’t strong enough for sustained flight. He couldn’t get enough lift to get more than a few feet in short hops. After the second molt, his feather situation massively improved as you can see in the videos below of his strong take-off. He was very mean and hateful toward us the entire time, but that’s a good thing because we wanted him to stay wild and not imprint. That’s not easy to do after such an extended stay in rehab. Farewell, Owlbert!

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      1 day ago

      “I see what you did there”

      Or

      “What the hell is wrong with you!?” haha

      Though a head turn to looking at the camera would make it perfect!

      • anon6789OP
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        31 day ago

        i tried to find a tool to do that, but they all wanted boring old human face. Speciesists! 😜

    • fxomt
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      81 day ago

      Looks like a matryoshka doll 😂 what a cutie!

      • anon6789OP
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        101 day ago

        It does have the shape, and looks like the top should pop off with how that white line is so even!

        I’d nest them: GHO>Short Eared>Barred>Long Eared>Barn>Screech>Flammulated>Pygmy>Saw Whet

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          61 day ago

          Make it so! Etsy people - Assemble!

        • fxomt
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          61 day ago

          Just saw the Saw Whet, so damn tiny and small! 😊

          • anon6789OP
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            91 day ago

            The time I saw a Saw Whet was at a rescue. I looked in the enclosure 3 times thinking they must have already released it before finally spotting it up at the roofline! All I could see was its tiny face. It looked much like this one that had room to flip over in a soup can!

            • fxomt
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              1 day ago

              Those eyes 🥺 He looks like a little kiwi! Bookmarked it, haha

              God i love owls, they can either be as cute as the GHO and saw whet, and as terrifying as those creatures in the outer wilds DLC 😂

              • anon6789OP
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                71 day ago

                Your picture shows up on my app, but not when I’m on the standard webpage. Werid.

                That Oriental Bay and Lesser Sooty are the craziest!

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            61 day ago

            Hey hey, show a little respect please - that’s our Owl of the Year you’re talking about! ;)