Connecticut is home to eight species of owl, all of which face many human-related challenges. Local conservation efforts, including rehabilitation, are helping to protect these elusive birds of prey.
Freedom First Wildlife Rehab in Waterford, Connecticut treats about forty to fifty owls annually. About half can be released back to the wild, but some become ambassadors for their species.
Gwen Rice with Freedom First will be at the Pardee-Morris House in New Haven on June 1, along with some feathered friends. WSHU's Sabrina Garone spoke with her to learn more.
WSHU: Why owls?
GR: Owls have always been an animal that intrigued me. Their nature is very solitary, very mysterious, so learning about owls is a bit challenging. They're not an animal you can go outside and see all the time; you have to dig a little bit. I found that they fit my rehab style, and I just thoroughly enjoy them.
WSHU: What do you mean by rehab style?
GR: I work full time at a hospital as an occupational therapist, so in the daytime, I rehabilitate people, and at night, I rehabilitate owls! Because owls are so active at night time, that fits my schedule. Any type of wild animal will not be able to express verbally what's wrong with them, so you need to use observation skills. I enjoy the problem-solving and figuring out what's wrong. We also have the ability to watch the process from the time they're injured to being released back to the wild. It's an amazing, amazing feeling!
WSHU: How are owls coming into your care? Do you have a team that's surveying, and are residents reaching out to you guys if they notice something in their own backyards?
GR: Most of them come from the public. People will find them on the road, in their yards. We receive a call or people send us a picture, and we can instruct people on how to box them safely and bring them to us.
WSHU: How do you know an owl is strong enough to be released?
GR: It's based on their weight, their behaviors, whether they're eating well, and whether they are able to fly. We'll use flight training techniques to make sure they have good lift and sustained flight. We always bring the owls back to where we found them. We want them to go back to their territory, where they know where their food source is.
The best part of the job is bringing an owl back into the wild. It's one of those things where it never gets old. I look at the face of an owl, and every time, it's just amazing. It's hard work, it's dirty work, and it's heartbreaking work at times. However, the positive side of it is that you get to work with amazing creatures that most people will never get to see. To see them get back out in the wild is worth all the time, all the effort.
WSHU: Take me through some of Connecticut's owl species. If folks are out taking a hike or something, are there certain ones that are easier to spot than others?
GR: We have a total of eight, which are the most common in Connecticut. Barred owls, screech owls, and great horned owls are the ones we typically see in the rehabilitation setting. We also see owls that are here at certain times of the year, like the snowy owl, only here in the wintertime. They're very difficult to see in the wild; their camouflage is amazing. When we're instructing people on how to go out and look for owls, we're telling them not just to use their eyes, but to use their ears. Listen for certain calls, learn what each sounds like, to know what you're looking for.
WSHU: Are there any owls out of the eight species that need some extra attention?
GR: One of the most endangered in the state is the barn owl. In the last fifteen years, according to all the rehabbers across the state, there have been very few barn owls brought into rehab. We say that what comes into rehab is a picture of what's out there. For example, we see a lot of barred owls — they make up about 80% of what comes into care. We decided to put together a conservation project to install barn owl houses around southeastern Connecticut. This year alone, rehabbers have taken in at least seven barn owls, so we know their population is growing. So, conservation does work!
WSHU: Could you tell me more about what makes a good barn owl habitat? That project reminds me of the man-made osprey platforms, and that's been a huge success.
GR: Barn owls are looking for areas that are open. They hunt on the wing, meaning they're flying around open areas looking for prey, versus another type of animal that will sit in a tree and wait. When we installed barn owl houses for the project, we reached out to the community and were able to find properties that were at least 40 acres of open habitat. That kind of environment encourages barn owls to come to that area, and then providing a nest box encourages them to have a family.
WSHU: I understand rodenticides also present a huge problem for the owls and birds of prey in general. Could you tell me about just how much of an impact rodenticides are having?
GR: Rodenticide is something that's very dangerous for all wildlife and domestic animals. We're finding second generation anticoagulant, or SGAR bait, used for bait boxes in rodent control — the mice don't die right away, but become easy targets for predators like a hawk, owl, fox, and even your cat. SGARs will prevent an animal from clotting their blood. So when an animal comes in after they've ingested a poisoned mouse or rat, they're coming in bleeding internally. A lot of times, by the time we get an animal that's been poisoned, it's too late for them. We can treat them with a vitamin K treatment if we're lucky.
Environmentalists are working on a statewide ban, especially in home-based settings that really don't need that type of protection. We find non-toxic options work just as well — snap traps and bucket traps, sealing points of entry, and removing food sources. Bird seed — if you're feeding the birds during the day, you're feeding mice at night! In the state of Connecticut, we have some pilot programs where a few organizations are using non-toxic bait to control rodent reproduction. That's happening in Fairfield and Hartford, and it's proving to be very effective. We're hoping that's what rodent control organizations will move towards.
WSHU: That's great to hear that towns are on board. Are you hearing anything from the state? Is it looking good?
GR: It passed the Environmental Committee 100% and goes forward from now. So hopefully they'll vote positively. We ask everyone to reach out to their representative.
WSHU: And you'll be at the New Haven Museum to show off some of these birds. Why is it so important for folks to see these animals up close?
GR: We are very excited to be at the Pardee-Morris House on their opening day. We're doing a program called Owls Among Us. I think it's important because people don't necessarily get to see owls. They don't realize that they're there, even in their own communities. We like to bring ambassador owls, so we'll bring at least two. There's something about seeing a live owl that touches people. It's unlike a photo or video. When you see a live animal that you can help protect in the environment, there's something that really drives that home. It helps people think about being better stewards of the environment.
Register for the Owls Among Us event on June 1 at newhavenmuseum.org.
