One, two, three! Who let the owls out?
Spectators flocked to Kiesel Park yesterday where the Southeastern Raptor Center (SRC) released eight eastern screech owls and five barred owls back into the wild.
Liz Crandall, veterinary technician with the SRC, said now was the time to release the 3 to 4-month-old owls because at this age, they are ready to be independent.
"They have most of their adult plumage," Crandall said. "We wait until they would leave their parents in the wild -- until they're old enough to go on their own and hunt."
Raptors are carnivorous birds that have three distinguishing characteristics, including sharp talons, a hooked beak and an all-meat diet. The SRC's rehabilitation section aides injured, ill and orphaned raptors.
Crandall said while most raptors come to the SRC because of injury from impact with a man-made object, the owls set free at the park were healthy.
"Most of the birds we released today were birds that could have been left alone," Crandall said. "The parents could do a better job teaching them how to hunt and survive than we can, so we try to discourage people from bringing them in when they are healthy birds."
As the owls waited in white boxes to be freed, Crandall educated the public about the birds at the SRC. She said not to bring in a healthy owl just because it appears abandoned.
"The adults are hiding," Crandall said. "If you see an orphan on the ground, leave it on the ground."
Following the informational session, audience members gathered for the release. The crowd counted to three as each owl took its turn trading its box for a tree branch.
SRC workers walked around with injured birds from the center, including Samson, an owl with a fractured wing, and Meeko, a red tailed hawk whose irregular feathers prevent it from flying symmetrically.
John Irvin, worker for the SRC, said he thinks events like this are important to inform people about the wildlife in their area.
"It's good to get them aware of the owls," Irvin said. "There are a lot of false conceptions of what they eat. For example, some people think they eat their cats and shoot them not knowing."
Crandall agreed and said the SRC tries to engage citizens with the work that they do.
"We're trying to do more stuff like this," Crandall said. "I think a lot of people do know of the raptor center due to the football games, but we do a lot more, and we'd like to let the public know that. We want the public to know they can be involved and come enjoy things like this."
Observers like Auburn resident Carrie Spell brought a blanket and a picnic to watch the release of the owls. Spell said she enjoyed this unique experience.
"It was fun and emotional," Spell said.
Rebecca Norris, senior in Human Development and Family Studies, said she appreciated the informative aspect of the event.
"I though the education part was cool," Norris said. "I think that it's important to educate people about stuff like that. Plus, before today, I'd never seen an owl up close."
A few of the newly free owls did stay close, landing on the upper branches of nearby trees. As for the rest, how far did they fly to shed their fledgling status and find independence in the wild? Whoooo knows.
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