Robert Blair of the Raptor Trust prepares to return a young great horned owl to the branches of a tree where it reunited with its mother. Cathy Malok helps Blair with the reunion process. A s neighbors looked on, a young owl that was rescued after being found near a home under construction in East Brunswick was returned safely to its mother last week.
The home’s realtor, Anthony Barone, found the great horned owl on April 24 and called East Brunswick’s animal control office.
“We are so thankful to him because he could have just left the owl there,” said Jackie Baird, an animal control officer.
Neighbors of the development off Milltown Road told animal control that the family — a mother, father and three fledglings — were using an old crow’s nest inside a pine tree that was going to be cut down. The family of owls is believed to have moved to the nest last fall.
PHOTOS BY SCOTT FRIEDMAN “This is rare to have great horned owls here in this neighborhood, so close to a busy road,” Baird said.
Dead carcasses of rodents were found in the backyard of the home, as Baird noted that baby owls can eat up to 17 mice in one meal.
Crows would pay visits, presenting a threat to the baby owls.
“Crows would circle the nest and the mom would flap her wings, scaring them away,” said Alison Creegan, who lives in the neighborhood. “A few hours later, the crows would be back.”
The baby owl, estimated to be 6 to 8 weeks old, likely was sitting on a branch and fell to the ground during a windy spell, Baird said. It appeared to be scared, she noted.
Baird took the baby owl to the Raptor Trust, Millington, one of the premier wild-bird rehabilitation centers in the United States.
“We take all birds we help rescue there,” she said.
The great horned owl, according to the Raptor Trust website, is New Jersey’s most impressive owl, standing 18 to 25 inches in height with a wingspan of 48 to 60 inches. Its distinguishing characteristics are long feather tufts and large, bright yellow eyes, with a white “collar” around the throat.
Commonly called the “hoot owl,” its deep-pitched, booming notes are repeated three to eight times and can be heard for miles on a still night. It is primarily a woodland species, but is occasionally found in parks and orchards.
On May 1, Cathy Malok of Raptor Trust brought the baby owl back to East Brunswick after caring for it over the course of a week. The mother was found sitting in a pine tree down the street from the owls’ original home. One of the other babies was sitting in another pine tree.
As it was released from the crate, the owl — its eyes wide open — made a clicking sound, and its mother could be heard “whooing” and clicking as well.
“The clicking sound is a distress signal,” Malok said, adding that the goal was to let the bird go as smoothly as possible so that its mother would not be upset.
One of the officials took a ladder and placed the baby owl on the branch of a nearby pine tree. It sat for a while and occasionally jumped from branch to branch. After about 15 to 20 minutes, the baby owl flew to its mother.
Neighbors assembled across the street to talk about what happened. Alison Creegan’s son, James, said he was fascinated and wanted to adopt the baby owl. He spent time drawing the pine trees and the nest.
Malok said she was thankful everything went as planned.
“The baby owl could have flown into the street, and at that time we would have to take it back with us because we couldn’t leave it there,” she said.
Baird said the neighbors would keep an eye out for the owls.
For more information about Raptor Trust, visit theraptortrust.org.