Animals-photography (Part 10)

Hi!

Greetings to all participants of the contest and wish everyone success!

As for me personally, today I want to show you my owls. No, no and NO! I do not keep these birds in aviaries as pets. It would be wrong. My belief is that a healthy bird should be free, it should see the sky, feel how the wind supports its wings, feel the joy of flying and live a full life.

So all the birds you see here were in trouble. For a chick this is usually the loss of its parents, for an adult bird it is illness or injury. I usually do whatever I can to ensure the bird can be returned to the wild. Unfortunately, this does not always work out.

I would also like to draw your attention to this point. Fledgling owls cannot fly, but they walk perfectly. Such a teenager can go quite far. But don't worry: parents can find it just fine. Unfortunately many people don't know about this. Seeing the chick and not finding a nest nearby, they begin to save it. And it is at this moment that a catastrophe occurs, because it will no longer be possible to return the chick to its parents after you have taken it.

I always suggest assessing the situation before taking the chick. First: if it is a chick, look where the nest is and return it there. If it's a fledgling, go to step two.
Secondly. Look around and examine the chick. If the chick is healthy, not injured and there is nothing nearby that can harm it, go on about your business because its parents will do a great job.

If you still need to pick up the chick, then take it immediately to an ornithologist veterinarian. Believe me, you really need specialist advice! Hundreds of chicks die due to the wrong actions of people who are trying to save them.

As for adult birds, most often we are dealing with injury due to the bird running into an obstacle. There is an important point here: a healthy bird does not fly into obstacles. Therefore, having found such a bird, it is necessary to check it for the presence of protozoa or infection.

In conclusion. No matter how weak the bird may seem to you, remember that it perceives you as a threat. Handle the bird very carefully, preferably wearing thick gloves (sometimes drivers have these in their cars) or cover with a jacket. The last photo shows the talons of an owl. Trust me, you won't like the feel of them in your palm!

That's all I wanted to say today. Once again I wish good luck to all participants in the context and a fun weekend 😊

@mstedda @alexa-cat @inber