An endangered short-eared owl returns to the wild

by Jacques Nuzzo

Program Director

The wind blew hard and cold across the fields of corn stubble. In town, buildings and houses stop most of the rushing air. Out here it was a different story.

As we let the short-eared owl go, the gusty winds carried him away from us even faster than usual. It happened so quickly, we hardly had time to celebrate the return to the wild of an Illinois' endangered species.
In February, these fields seem barren and lifeless. Plowed earth and ditches of grass are punctuated only occasionally by a lone tree. On this particular piece of property, a long meandering ditch was bordered by 30 feet of grass on each side. Farmers call them filter strips because the deep roots of the grass help filter and trap agricultural chemicals before they reach the creek. They also help to stem erosion. Conservation programs pay farmers to leave a portion of erodable land in grass. Filter strips protect the water we drink and are a haven for countless species of animals. This is where Martin decided to spend part of the winter, before he got hit. Martin the Short -eared Owl.

The farmer was cutting corn when he noticed the strange golden and tan bird. It was sitting on the ground, and on his next pass he stopped the combine to see what was the matter. At first he couldn't see the owl. It was, after all, the color of corn stalks and brown grass. Finally, after scanning the area over and over he, saw it. It was a short, compact bird, about the size of a crow. It was a beautiful golden brown, with heavy steaks of white and black. Two tiny feather tufts adorned the top of it's head. Large round yellow eyes gave it away as an owl. He gently picked it up and took the little owl home and later to a veterinary clinic.

We received " Martin " the short-eared owl as soon as his surgery was complete. Our job was to condition him for release into the wild. This is can be tricky with the short eared owls. Most owls have large broad wings and lack a spectacular style of flight. They are designed for still hunting, and spend most of their time waiting for dinner to come along. The short-eared owl is different. It has a unique design with long pointed wings that enable it to fly and hover over tall grass or prairies. In fact, it's body shape is much like a falcon's. It's not as heavy as a falcon, so in the wild, its flight is very moth or puppet like. this design enables the short-eared owl to hunt treeless habitats with much skill and efficiency

Retraining a short-eared owl in the normal way wouldn't cut it. We had to create a regular routine of getting the owl to exercise in the flight cage. We especially wanted it to fly in circles. This was achieved by going into the flight cage routinely and forcing it to leave the perch. A volunteer would stand in the owl's way, forcing it to turn around and head back to the original perch where a second volunteer was waiting. The result was that we were able to get the owl to hover inside its enclosure. Hovering takes a lot of energy. In no time, Martin's muscles were properly built up for release.

Short-eared owls hold a special place for us at the raptor center. We are fortunate to have two short-eared owls as stars of our educational programs. Shawnee and Tecumsah are both wing amputees who travel with us to schools for our outreach natural history talks. If you have ever seen one of our programs you have undoubtedly seen Shawnee. This owl has to be the greatest owl that anyone could ever have in bird of prey program. She is veteran of hundreds of programs and has accompanied us on virtually every one that we have performed. Not only is she calm but she is also very vocal. Her cat like yelps have amused audiences again and again. This owl has to be my personal favorite. Their coloration and special abilities set them apart from all birds of prey.

The short eared owl is an Illinois State Endangered Species. That means that their population in Illinois has declined to a dangerously low level. The only place that I have seen them is in Jasper county on a
preserve for prairie chickens ( also state endangered ). To see one of
these owls in the wild in Illinois is truly a rarity.

Martin was released in the exact spot he was found. Releases are always disappointing for us. So much time, effort and money are put into these animals and the release is always quick. Never is there a long dramatic flight and beautiful music playing in the background. They tend to be on their way quickly, and Martin was no exception. At least he has a second chance at life.
Hopefully he will continue to hunt along the filter strip in search of voles. Maybe he'll move on and find a mate, build a nest on the ground and raise a family. If more people practice sound conservation practices, and set aside a little land for wildlife, short-eared owls may once again nest in Illinois.

Maybe one day, Martin's descendents will call Illinois home.