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The female owl had just given her fledgling a wriggling crayfish. The young owl tries to maneuver it from a horizontal position to a vertical one. After grasping the crayfish with it's foot, it is able to reposition it to swallow.

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I normally don't like showing cage animals, but thought it could serve as a reminder to respect wildlife. The three birds shown in this series have been at The Little Red Schoolhouse in Willow Springs, Illinois for nearly 20 years. The Red-tailed Hawks both had wing injuries, so could not be returned to the wild and the owl was found when very young, imprinted on it's care givers leaving it "at risk" if returned to it's natural habitat. All three birds receive professional care and are used as educational animals.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology lists the longest living Red-tailed Hawk as at least 30 years, 8 months old. This was a banded individual found in Michigan, USA.
The oldest Barred Owl recorded was at least 24 years.

Tags:   Barred Owl Caged injured Captive Little Red Schoolhouse Willow Springs Illinois USA

© All Rights Reserved

The female owl had just given her fledgling a wriggling crayfish. The young owl tries to maneuver it from a horizontal position to a vertical one. After grasping the crayfish with it's foot, it is able to reposition it to swallow.

© All Rights Reserved

© All Rights Reserved