Barred Owl Recovers from Chimney Fire at Tufts Wildlife Clinic
“It's not unusual that we get wildlife, particularly owl species, that go into people's chimneys. Species that like to nest in cavities are drawn to chimneys because it looks to them like an inviting place to nest. Sometimes with other species in the winter, they're just looking for a place to be warm,” says Dr. Maureen Murray, V03, director of Tufts Wildlife Clinic (TWC), Shalin Liu Professor in Wildlife Medicine, and associate clinical professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
A barred owl that sought refuge in a chimney this past March recovered from its injuries at TWC. The homeowners did not realize an owl was in their chimney when they lit a fire. They contacted a wildlife rehabilitator, who helped rescue the owl and brought him to TWC.
Owls that get caught in chimneys typically arrive at TWC covered in soot. The soot irritates their eyes, so they may have abrasions on their corneas, or lacerations on their bodies from trying to scrabble out. This barred owl was not burned, but had been exposed to quite a bit of smoke. Coated in thick soot, he was suffering from respiratory distress and abrasions on both corneas.
“The bird was in critical shape for a couple of days, but gradually the breathing improved, and the bird kept improving overall,” says Murray.
To support the owl’s breathing, the TWC team provided oxygen and administered medications to relax its airways. The eyes were treated with a topical ophthalmic antibiotic. Because the feathers were so heavily contaminated with soot, they had to wash the owl.
“Similar to an oil spill when the birds have to be washed to get the oil off their plumage, there was enough soot hanging on to the feathers that the bird wasn't able to bathe it off, and it was affecting the waterproofing abilities of the feathers,” says Murray.
After several days of supportive care, the barred owl’s breathing returned to normal. It continued to eat well and gain strength, so the team moved it to an intermediate-sized outdoor cage, but not yet a large flight cage.
“With any bird of prey species, they go through different stages in the course of their recovery and flight rehabilitation. Initially, they'll be in our inside caging for various amounts of time depending on the severity of their injuries and how quickly they're recovering,” explains Murray.
Birds of prey are relocated outside as soon as they are ready. Recovering outdoors lessens stress for animals in TWC’s care, as wildlife are unaccustomed to being inside and around people. The barred owl was transferred to an outdoor cage with more space to move around, but not yet fly, as the team first needed to ensure that increased activity would not cause respiratory distress.
The barred owl did well in the new space and did not develop respiratory issues, so the team next moved it to one of the larger aviaries, where the owl could fly in small bursts up and down, and back and forth, though not large enough for sustained flight.
Without showing any respiratory issues at that activity level, the barred owl was then transitioned to TWC’s largest flight rehabilitation cage. The Shalin Liu Healing Cage is approximately 100 feet long with wide open space for recovering birds of prey to fly.
“That's always the last step of the rehabilitation process for a bird of prey, so that we can observe their flight and make sure it looks normal,” says Murray. “Owls are very athletic birds in terms of the type of flight they have to sustain, so it's part of rebuilding their fitness and strength to spend time in the larger cage. Because owls have to be silent flyers for their hunting style, any kind of damage to the feathers can potentially make them noisy in flight, which is a concern. This bird did have a little singing to some of its feathers, but nothing that affected its silence in flight.”
The barred owl made a full recovery and was released back into the wild in late April. Juvenile birds of prey (around one year or younger) typically don’t have a set territory yet, so can be released in a suitable habitat that may or may not be where they were found. Adult barred owls maintain a breeding territory, so TWC releases them near where they were found, mindful of any potential hazards, such as uncapped chimneys.
To prevent owls from nesting in chimneys, Murray recommends hiring a professional to properly install a chimney cap that allows smoke to escape while keeping out wildlife. TWC recently treated an eastern screech-owl trapped in a chimney. The homeowners subsequently capped their chimney so that TWC could safely release the owl back into its territory.
TWC treats many owls throughout the year for a range of injuries. Cars and soccer nets are of particular danger. Many owls get hit by cars while hunting. Owls often get tangled in soccer nets, which can cause severe wounds, especially to their wings, as they struggle to free themselves.
“All the wildlife are more active right now as we're coming into spring, the season when they're raising their babies,” says Murray. “Anything people can do to make their yards and houses more wildlife-friendly goes a long way. Drive a little bit slower around dusk or nighttime, particularly down a road that's wooded on either side. Owls will swoop down across the road as they're hunting and collide with cars.”
Like most owl species, barred owls are most active at night. Common in Massachusetts, barred owls are known for their vocalizations. Murray points out that barred owls do not hoot. The mnemonic for recognizing their call is the sound of someone saying, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”
“You're more likely to hear them than you are to see them,” says Murray. “Actually seeing a barred owl is a treat. Their eyes are just enormous, and their plumage is beautiful. When our veterinary students are on rotation here and see one of these birds up close for the first time, their reaction is always fun to see. These birds are just so beautiful.”