A 3-month-old barn owl flew away from a bird show at Gilroy
Gardens and is in danger of starving, and poses a possible danger
to humans.
A 3-month-old barn owl flew away from a bird show at Gilroy Gardens and is in danger of starving, and poses a possible danger to humans. The owl, dubbed Barny, has relied on people his entire life for meals and could try to approach humans with his sharp talons.
“For the first time we were going to present him to the public and he got startled and flew off,” said Joe Carvalho, who helps run the Friends of a Feather bird show at the Gardens.
Carvalho received Barny – which was just learning to fly – from a rescue group called Hawk Creek in New York. The owl arrived at the rescue group without parents that could feed it. Carvalho guessed the bird’s parents were hurt or that the owlet fell out of its nest.
The male owlet – which had a white heart-shaped face and a beige body with black and white dots – is now fully feathered except for two or three little fuzzies on his head, Carvalho said.
An owl that is imprinted – meaning it is used to being cared for or being around humans – could impose a danger, said Sue Howell, executive director of the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center. The group takes in and nurses injured wild animals, among other projects.
Because such an animal is used to using its talons to land on a handler, who would normally be wearing protective gear, the animal could cause injury, Howell said.
“People need to be on the lookout,” she said.
Carvalho was also worried the bird wouldn’t know how to find food.
“He’s not aggressive at all,” he said. “I’m hoping if he doesn’t fly to someone (looking for help), his natural instinct will kick in,” said Carvalho.
“He’ll eat mice, so if you have mice, he might be good to have around,” he joked.
As much as people might enjoy him, if he can hunt on his own in the wild, that is where he is meant to be, said Carvalho.
Anyone who sees the owl can contact Joe Carvalho at (530) 903-0231 or Gilroy Gardens Security at 205-9586. They can also contact WERC at 779-9372.
