By Guthrum Purdin, DVM

This Great Horned Owl was brought to CWC from West Valley Animal Control one afternoon back in late September. There was no history to go with the transfer, why she had come into care was unknown. What was immediately apparent however, were abrasions on the bird’s cere (the base of the upper beak) and, although the talons could still grip, she was dehydrated and unable to stand. The wounds were cleaned and subcutaneous fluid given to rehydrate the bird.

In addition, nonsteroidal anti-inflammation medication was started. This was done to control possible pain, but even more importantly because head trauma was strongly suspected. A head injury, such as being hit by a car, can cause inflammation and swelling in the brain. Symptoms of brain swelling can take a few days to manifest, and that’s what we saw happening to this owl. Although able to stand on the second day in care, she was staring off into the distance as if unaware of what was going on around her, until she was actually touched by a caregiver. Her right wing was drooping with no injuries found by palpation or x-rays.

Then, two days later, she started spinning in circles. This worsened over the next few days. At any stimulus, the owl would start turning to the left, spinning repeatedly, over and over. Her pupils were very different sizes (called anisocoria), the left much larger than the right. The right eye would focus on moving objects, but the left would not, seemingly blind. Things were looking grim for the owl, and we feared she was not going to recover. When our veterinarian looked at her, he found the eyes were structurally normal, with no outward sign of injury; the problem seemed completely associated with her brain. Head trauma can cause “central blindness,” where the eyes are structurally normal, but there is damage to the visual centers of the brain. More promisingly, the owl would occasionally stop spinning and make the loud “beak clattering” noise that Great Horned Owls do to show aggression and as a warning to strangers to “back off!” Despite her cerebral compromise, she was self-aware enough to warn her caregivers to be wary. Now, when touched, she’d turn to bite. She always missed but was determined to try!

Treatment continued, and we monitored her carefully. If she could see people, she’d start spinning, but if left alone, would stop and relax. After about two weeks, the owl was eating on her own, no longer requiring being hand fed. Her eyes still had anisocoria, but less dramatically. When trying to bite, the owl now could snap down on what she aimed at—caregivers beware! The drooping wing had been wrapped until now, but that was no longer needed.

A few days later, the owl was moved to a shady, quiet, small aviary to allow more space and peace for recovery. The owl immediately went up to the low perches provided and settled in. Medication could be given in the food, and she was left in peace as much as possible. The owl still spun to the left when approached on the first day in the small aviary, but finally stopped for good by day two.

Improvement was gradual. Initially, flight was unusually noisy when taking off. This is a serious problem for owls. They rely on flying almost silently when hunting. Owls have specialized feathers that allow them to fly noiselessly. This enables them to descend on their prey without being detected. For this to work, the wings must be held at the proper angle. As this owl slowly regained normal use and positioning of her wings, flight became stronger and quieter. She initially would tire quickly after being moved to a large, flight training aviary. Staff and volunteers would go out and gently encourage flying, thus building up her strength and endurance.

It took weeks, but her pupils returned to normal. The owl was able to avoid objects placed in the aviary, fly silently, and land normally. But could she see well enough to hunt? During a “live prey test,” the owl swooped down, catching her dinner immediately after staff closed the aviary door. Feeding herself would be no problem; she was ready at last to return home! After nearly two months in care, this Great Horned Owl was returned to where she had originally been found.

When she first arrived, it really looked like the owl wouldn’t make it. Thanks to our dedicated staff and volunteers using their experience and attention to detail, this bird was given every opportunity to improve. Thanks also to the owl herself, for her fierceness and resilience. She’s out there somewhere right now, living wild and free.

A few months ago, Red-tailed Hawk 21-233 arrived at the California Wildlife Center from Malibu with very little history. All the techs in ICU knew at first was that he was injured. What they found on examination was a bird with some wounds on his chest, some broken feathers and, much more concerningly, feet that were in terrible condition. There were multiple deep, painful lesions on the bottoms of the feet, skin and scales dark with infection and necrosis extending out onto the digits towards the talons. Lab tests showed elevated white blood cells, indicating a significant immune response; plus there were parasites living in his GI tract, stealing nutrition from whatever food he was given and damaging the intestinal lining.

Hawks live by the health of their feet. It’s the talons that catch their prey and help protect them against enemies. If a hawk’s feet are too damaged or infected, they can’t survive. What caused 233’s injuries can’t be known for certain, but it’s suspected they may have occurred in a fight with another hawk. During conflict, they may wrestle with each other, grabbing each other’s feet and chests. This would explain the deep cuts and gouges, because hawk talons are sharp and very, very strong. The wounds, whatever caused them, then became infected and the parasites, responding to a weakened immune system, could then proliferate.

Initial critical care treatments were started. By early the next day, 233 was depressed and unable to stand, which is when I first saw him. After examining the bird, despite his then poor condition, I felt he had a reasonable chance to recover and be returned to the wild, so I reviewed and expanded his treatment plan. This would evolve over time, including soaking the feet periodically in a particular veterinary disinfectant (cleaning away a lot of the black, crusty, infected, and dead tissue), foot dressings, antibiotics that were both systemic and could penetrate deep tissues not well supplied by the circulatory system, and medication for pain and inflammation. He was also treated for his GI parasite freeloaders. Patients like this are given nutrition in both liquid and solid form until they’re back to self-feeding.

By late afternoon of that second day, 233 was back to standing and, more surprisingly, able to get up on a perch, resting comfortably. In fact, this was the beginning of what makes this bird a patient that I’ll always remember. CWC gets a lot of raptors each year. Just looking at Red-tails, there were 69 in 2020 and 85 in 2019. But 233 turned out to be a special bird. Once standing, he proved to be very fierce, indeed! He did not like being caught up for his treatments and fought hard against his caregivers. Only the most experienced raptor handlers could safely get him out of his enclosure. Treating his feet could be challenging, he would snap his taloned claws shut like a bear-trap during dressing changes. He was a real fighter!

After several weeks, once the worst of the injuries were resolved, we switched to a once-every-three-days medication to reduce handling. Thus, reducing stress for 233…and for his handlers! Finally, it was aviary time for this tough bird. Flight at first was weak, only getting about 3 feet off the ground on his initial attempt.

Allowed to rest quietly in his new, bigger flight space, after a few days, staff and volunteers would go into the aviary daily to encourage 233 to do his physical therapy, flying from one end of the aviary to the other. This was easy for 233, since wherever people were, he did not want to be. Hawk 233 was wild to the core! Gradually, he flew better and better. A companion, a juvenile Red-tail, was introduced to aviary (they were closely monitored to make sure they got along and would not fight). During PT sessions, 233 easily out flew the youngster.

Then the great day came. On recheck exam, after weeks off meds, his original injuries were all definitely healed and in the past. I spent some time observing 233 in the largest aviary and found he could fly with the best. Just a few days after that, after about 2½ months in care, this memorable hawk was released back into the Malibu sky. What an amazing patient!

By Cambria Wells, Wildlife Technician Supervisor

Raising young birds presents unique challenges. In order to release a healthy bird, as rehabilitators we have to consider many factors which influence their physical and mental fitness for life in the wild. We need to know what each orphan needs to be able to do to care for themselves, attract a mate, and someday raise young of their own. Do they innately know their own song, or do we need to find a way for them to hear an adult of their species? Do they forage for insects on the ground, or catch them while flying? Do they have an attraction to specific habitats, food items, or self-maintenance opportunities like water or dust baths? For answers to these kinds of questions, we look to natural history, to the story of how these animals have lived in our local environments for thousands of years. We are lucky to have access to research and writing by rehabilitators, ornithologists, veterinarians, and more on our side in our quest to return our patients to the wild. For species that don’t regularly come into care, that research can bridge the gap between our standard protocols and a happy ending for the most vulnerable of species.

In early June of this year, a good Samaritan rescued eight hatchling Quail running alone on the side of the road in Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area. These birds were very young, bearing only downy feathers, and were initially identified as California Quail. When they arrived a few days later at California Wildlife Center, staff noticed confident demeanors, dark-colored bills, and subtle plumage differences that set these Quail apart from the hatchling California Quail in care at the time. A little research and help from the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, led to the determination that these were likely Mountain Quail, a species for which CWC has no record of previous intake at our facility.

As their name suggests, Mountain Quail primarily occupy mountainous chaparral habitat from Washington to Baja California, migrating seasonally to avoid heavy snows and enjoying a wide range of foods such as seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, and insects. A correct identification allowed Orphan Care staff to infer that these Quail might, as compared to the California Quail we were more familiar with, have a high degree of herbivory, eating more plants than other local Quail species. Therefore, they were offered plentiful amounts of fresh greens. Knowledge of their habitat preferences in the wild allowed us to fill enclosures inside and outside with dense brush to help them feel safe and learn to hide from potential predators. Existing research on their habits and behaviors meant that we could be confident that toe injuries three of the Quail had sustained before intake at our Center would not, once fully healed, interfere with their ability to walk, perch, or forage for food. They were able to grow and thrive under care tailored to their specific needs.

It was important that when these Quail were released that they return as close to their origin as possible because of their limited range. With help from environmental scientists at Hungry Valley, we were able to make the long drive from our facility to a safe release site with a known population of Mountain Quail inside a protected habitat. These scientists already monitor the Mountain Quail population inside Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area and were able to direct us to an area with plentiful food, brush cover, and a well-sheltered spring which could provide the young Quail with an easy source of drinking water. This kind of collaboration between researchers, habitat managers, and rehabilitators paints a bright picture of the future for successfully rehabilitated orphaned wildlife.