School’s out! At least it is for seven barn owls that attended the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center’s “summer school” this year.
They “enrolled” at WERC in June and July when they were rescued as nestlings or fledglings: Four had fallen from their nests in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin and Hollister; two were the sole survivors of five siblings found on the ground after their owl box toppled down from a tall tree; and the seventh owlet was rescued from its perilous nest at the top of the long water slide at Morgan Hill’s aquatic center.
All first underwent physical examinations to make sure that they were healthy and hadn’t suffered any broken bones from their falls. The owlets were hand-fed small rodents for breakfast, lunch and dinner until they were able to eat meals on their own. They were then transferred to an outside enclosure to be “home-schooled” by foster mother, Barnadette, WERC’s non-releasable educational barn owl, who educated – actually reinforced their innate behavior – them in a curriculum of the basic conduct and customs of barn owls and prevented them from imprinting on human beings.
After one month, they were well-fed and proficient in toe-dusting (swaying the top of their head against their feet), glaring and hissing at volunteers who entered the enclosure to feed and clean. They had shed their downy baby plumage and now sported grown-up tan and white feathers. They were ready to be promoted to the large aviary and begin their two-month-long aviation training to become proficient in silent flight.
The seven owls have earned their wings with an MS (mouse specialist) degree and are now qualified for jobs in the working world as skilled environmental specialists, aka rodent catchers. Nature’s supreme flying mouse-traps, barn owls are voracious predators of nuisance field rodents, catching more than 1,500 small rodents a year, and are valued “employees” at our local vineyards and farms.
Their graduation ceremonies took place in early September at various venues around the south Bay Area. Most of the release sites have installed barn owl boxes to attract nesting owls. The seven graduates are not yet mature enough to begin their own families, but hopefully, in the coming year or two they will choose those boxes as suitable housing for the next generation of owlets.
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To the parents and teachers of those human youngsters for whom school is still in session, WERC will come to your school to present educational programs that introduce students to native wildlife and engage the children in an in-depth study of the animals’ natural habitats and behavior. Students will meet some of WERC’s educational animal ambassadors: Owls, falcons, turkey vulture, hawk, woodpecker, opossum, pocket gopher and snakes. The programs meet many or all of California’s Life Science Standards for elementary school grades K-6. Presenters are trained, knowledgeable and can assist in expanding and customizing to current classwork. Details of the Silent Hunter, Birds of Prey, Stayin’ Alive and Feathers, Fur & Scales programs are at www.werc-ca.org.
The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center rehabilitates native wildlife. It is supported solely by donations from businesses and the public. To contact WERC, call (408) 779-9372 or visit www.werc-ca.org.
