Little Owl - Netherlands / Beleef de Lente

[birdcamfan]

I have seen them go back in the nest box but they tend to stay in the hallway and look outside or stand on the ledge, then one day they are just gone. I wonder if this little guys leg is a developmental abnormality. I was looking back at the earlier clips because it had bothered me that when he was less than a week old he would often be on his back with his legs kicking in the air. I had never seen an owl chick or any other chick do that after the first day or so. Maybe he already had a problem at that point. The Mom here is thought to be a first timer, she really dotes on the chick.

[susha]

He seems to be a strong little thing and is obviously eating and growing...it's very painful to watch that poor wretched leg, but the little owl doesn't seem to be aware of anything wrong and just keeps going.  Once the chicks make it out into the "hallway", do they go back and forth from the nest box, bcf?  Or so they stay in the hallway?  I guess the odds are against this wee creature, but he's so full of spunk, that he just might make it!  I sure hope so.

[birdcamfan]

Little Stone Owl's leg is quite obviously stiff and formed differently than his other one. He is getting around now that his Mom is less frequently hovering over him. He is starting to get some feathers and flapping his wings madly. He seems to have a lot of strength and I hope that helps him overcome his problem. His first battle is to get out of the nest box which has an elevated small hole leading to a small "hallway". In other years the chicks have gone to this area as soon as they could manage the leap and it seems to happen when their wing feathers have grown. They fledge within a week to 10 days after going out of the nest box to the hallway.

[birdcamfan]

I was very sad when I read this news. They have been watching this little one for a week with the injury/stiffness. I haven't seen anything indicating how this happened. Maybe it was born that way. We have to keep our hope for this little one up. Maybe with some growth, this will turn around for the better.

[susha]

So the little birdie has a stiff leg that seems to be impeding his/her mobility.  They don't know the cause and they don't know if the chick will be able to leave the nestbox when the time comes to go out and become independent - about three weeks typically.  The researchers say that they often find dead chicks in the nestboxes that they provide for the owls, but this is the first time that they (and the world) are able to see a drama like this unfold.  They will watch to see what happens, but they expect that if the babe can't get out on his own, the parents will eventually stop feeding it and it will starve to death.  The researchers don't intend to give in to the inevitable public pressure to rescue the chick and keep it in captivity, but they will take it and euthanize.  Just a wait and see right now.  The chick continues to grow and thrive and anything can happen!

 

[birdcamfan]

I guess it's equivalent to an alien abduction - minus the probing.

[susha]

I watched the whole thing and was amazed at how docile the mom was when she was picked up.  Poor little thing recovered pretty quickly, but I'm glad you warned me that she'd be in the corner, looking stunned, when she was first put back.  Very endearing, these wee creatures!

[birdcamfan]

The clip is posted from this mornings ringing and weighing. The chick is 28.5 grams which they explain is a bit underweight. They hope that the weight will be caught up now that there is a steady food supply. There are pictures of the Mom and chick at http://www.steenuilenrondwinterswijk.nl/logboek/geringd-en-gewogen
One of the remaining eggs was examined and did not contain an embryo so was unfertilized. The other one stuck to the Mom and she carried it out on her foot today.

[susha]

Thanks for sharing this, bcf!  I've grown quite fond of this little family and will watch for this tomorrow morning!

[birdcamfan]

Posted today on the Steenuil website - they will be banding the mother owl and weighing the chick at 3 PM Dutch time. That is about 8 AM our time tomorrow morning. They do this every year to assess the development of the chick. This mother owl is new and unbanded so they want to try and keep track of her. The chick is still too tiny to band.

I have seen this before and they access the nest box from inside the barn on which it is installed. The owls get a bit funny afterwards and will stand in the corner staring like they are in shock for a while. This group almost always posts an interesting clip of the banding and weighing and it is really neat to see how tiny these owls are. they will also report the weight and development of the chick as well as indicating if it is within normal range or not.

It is fortunate for these owls that they have such a dedicated group of people caring for them. We are lucky to have such an interesting website brought to us.

[birdcamfan]

Only the bad boy knows for sure!

[allikat]

I have been tuning in to see the "happenings" of this pair.  Me thinks the Dad has another litter to take care of so he's on double duty.  Or, maybe not, "hoo" ( ) would know!??!?!?!?

[birdcamfan]

Great to hear Susha because I sure haven't seen the baby since Mom was relieved of her dash and dine responsibilities. You are right the Dad seems to hunt at night likely because it is humid and the larvae are out on the ground as well as the mice, rats, and other critters they love to eat.

[susha]

Ever since dad got back from his escapades, mom hasn't been off the nest much, which is great for the family of course, but affording us little chance to see the baby.  I just checked in and mom was off for a quick break and the seemingly contented wee babe was visible for a minute or two.  He\she definitely seems to be thriving and becoming more and more pleasantly plump   I saw many regular and plentiful deliveries of groceries last night - is dad making up for his absence I wonder or is this a normal nighttime routine?

[birdcamfan]

They are tiny. It is easier to see when the banding takes place. They post a clip of the banding every year.