Raptor Center volunteers release three snowy owls

April 15, 2021

The Raptor Center

Early in April, we released three snowy owl patients on the same day. Each came to our clinic for a different reason, but we successfully treated and healed each of them for release. We then had to wait for the right weather to return them to the wild. When the time was right, we sent them all on their way.

Releasing a snowy owl is an extra special experience. We typically only see a handful of these majestic owls each year, and they have such an impressive and captivating presence. As a thank you to our amazing team of volunteers, we held a random drawing to give them an opportunity for the releases. We had to keep the human presence small for their quiet return to the wild, but want to share some of the images from that magical day. Below are the stories and details for each released snowy owl:

Patient #20-884 was a male, second-year owl found on the ground in Superior, WI. It was unable to fly and upon our exam we found a fracture in the left ulna (wing) and some severe trauma internally. The fracture didn’t require surgery, so we bandaged the wing to let it heal and provided lots of rest. Once healed, our incredible flight crew volunteers came in to recondition and exercise this owl through special flight sessions so it would be ready on time for release back to the wild.

If you saw Dr. Dana’s behind the scenes Facebook tour of our triage center, you saw this patient while still in the early stages of rehabilitation along with patient #20-930 below. Education volunteer Priscilla was picked to release this snowy owl.

Another second-year male, patient #20-930 was originally found in Eden Prairie, MN. Like the snowy owl above, this one was also unable to fly. But this time it was the left coracoid bone (shoulder bone) that had a fracture. The coracoid is an important bone for the flight muscles to function properly, and it required bandaging to heal.

This owl then received special reconditioning from our trained volunteers to get it back in shape for release. These flights ensure the muscles are rebuilt, and it also lets us analyze and assess the flight mechanics of each bird so we know it’s healing properly and will be successful in the wild. Our education team volunteer Kathie released this snowy owl.

Snowy owl #21-026 was a female snowy owl found in a parking lot in Mankato. It was observed attempting to fly but could not gain height. Once in our clinic, we found a lot of swelling and wounds on the right wrist. We were able to clean and treat the wounds, and provide the rest needed to allow these wounds to heal. This snowy owl also had an old left shoulder injury that had already healed, so she required some extra time in the reconditioning and exercise program to regain the proper flight mechanics and strength to fly again.

An existing band on her leg let us know that this was a bird that had been captured once before. Her records indicated that in 2020 she was relocated away from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. This snowy owl was released by our clinic and rescue volunteer, Karen.

We want to give a huge 'Thank You' to all of our volunteers who helped make these releases possible. Our volunteer team is integral from start to finish. They helped with the original rescues and bringing these injured owls to us. They were in the clinic next to our veterinarians providing care, handling, feeding, and cleaning. And they took these birds out for their exercise and helped get them back in shape prior to release.

Our work would not be possible without this team effort and the time, dedication, and knowledge of our incredible volunteers! They truly are the heart of The Raptor Center and we appreciate everything they do to keep raptors healthy and flying free - thank you!

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