Our Saw-whet owl rehab patient, who's almost ready for release back into the wild, will be part of a program that helps us to understand birds better. Master Bird Bander Gary Fowler put a uniquely numbered silver band around the rehab patient's leg, as Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Rehabiltation Specialist Amy LeMonds assisted today. According to the Bird Banding Laboratory website, bird banding is a technique used to study the movement, survival and behavior 
of birds. The North American Bird Banding Program is jointly administered by the United States Department of the Interior and the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Gary is one of only 2,000 people who hold the Master Bird Bander permit issued by the Federal Government. Saw-whets are the smallest of Ohio's owls and so small that the adults are often mistaken for babies. Based on the coloration of the primary and secondary feathers, Gary says this owl was born last year. If you're interested in witnessing the return of this owl back into the wild following its rehabilitation here, you can join us on Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's back porch Thursday, March 26 at 5 p.m. for the scheduled release.
1 comment:
I'm amazed by the small size of this owl. He makes the ESO look like a giant! Nice to involve the bird banding program.
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