Baby Screech Owls Are Unfortunate Tree-Trimming Surprise

The story of two adorable Screech Owl babies, who were briefly in our Wildlife Rehab care, offers an important lesson for anyone trimming back trees this spring. The baby owls were discovered nesting in the cavity of a large tree, AFTER it was taken down.
We kept the birds hydrated and fed. (In the video clip, you can see them eating crickets, fed by Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist, Amy LeMonds.)

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center quickly transferred the birds to the Medina Raptor Center, a facility that has a “foster mom” Screech Owl, who may be able to care for them and to encourage a more natural upbringing. Of course, this situation is not guaranteed to work out and is not nearly as good as the babies remaining with their mother in their nest.

The lesson? If possible avoid cutting any trees down which may have hollows during this time of year and make sure you check your trees for nesting wildlife before taking them down. The goal is to keep wildlife in the wild and not in captivity.
-Dave Wolf, Director of Wildlife