“Madonna”
Great Horned Owl  (Buto virginianus)

Madonna was found along a roadside, after being struck by a car in May of ’93. She had a “brood patch” indicating she was caring for young. Named after the Beatles’ song… Lady Madonna, children at your feet. She recovered, but the head trauma resulted in permanent optical damage. Without keen night vision, she could no longer survive independently in the wild. Her caretakers were concerned for her recovery, knowing she had a brood of young owlets awaiting the return of their mother. It was of great comfort to receive a report in July of ’93 that Madonna’s mate had successfully raised their brood of 3 owlets. Though bad timing removed Madonna from the wild, her offspring carry on… representing the strength, dignity and ongoing tenacity of life itself. She has become a feathered ambassador… educating the general public about what it means to live in the wild.


“Otus”
Eastern Screech-Owl  (Otus asio)

Otus was rescued in April of ‘96 after several misadventures. While living in the wild, he broke his wing, but was able to survive while healing. Fortunately his wing healed well enough for him to fly again, but he could no longer fly silently… limiting his ability to hunt. This weakened condition, made him easy prey for the cat who caught and brought him home as a gift. The owners of the cat took him in with an injured eye, malnutrition and emaciation. He became a feathered ambassador… educating the general public about what it means to live in the wild.


“Isabeau”
Red-tailed Hawk  (Buteo jamaicensis)

Isabeau, named after the character in the movie, Lady Hawk… is a symbol of hope, recovery and freedom. The victim of gunshot wounds, she was presumed dead when found by a game warden in 1996. Weeks of rehabilitative treatment saved her life but her ability to soar was compromised, as well as her ability to survive independently in the wild. For 6 years she was a feathered ambassador… educating the general public about what it means to live in the wild. Eventually time, space and exercise in her aviary restored her flight mobility, and she released herself on 9/21/02. Often sighted soaring over her former aviary, she is again living the life of a free-hunting, magnificent raptor.


“Nugget”
Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

During their migration as far south as North Carolina, saw-whet owls fly about 8’ above the ground. Consequently, they are extremely vulnerable to car and window strikes, especially windows that reflect woodlands. This was Nugget’s fate in 1995 when he struck a picture window in Charlotte, VT. He was brought to a raptor rehabilitation facility (OFES) with a broken wing. His wing healed but not perfectly, resulting in a serious and permanent flight disability. Weighing only 78 grams, Nugget educated hundreds of Vermonters as a wild-feathered ambassador. Proving that the best of things come in small packages, this tiny precious gift with huge golden eyes inspired the name of “Nugget”.

“Snapper”
Barred Owl (Strix varia)

Snapper arrived at the raptor rehabilitation center in November of 1994 with a broken wing that had been injured in a car accident near Poultney, VT. Due to the way the fracture healed, Snapper's ability to fly silently was compromised precluding her ability to catch wild prey.
She was named Snapper because of her habit of excessively snapping her beak to express her displeasure (beak snapping is a typical trait of barred owls, but Snapper takes it to an extreme). Her small size suggested that she was a male (male raptors are smaller than females). Then "he" laid an egg! She has proven to be an excellent surrogate mother for orphaned barred owls and has assisted other rehabilitation centers when a newfound owlet needs some TLC. Because of her injury, she could not be released into the wild and became a “ feathered ambassador”… educating the general public about what it means to live in the wild.

“Bunyan”
Northern Saw-whet Owl  (Aegolius acadicus)

In March of 1995, Bunyan had the unfortunate experience of striking a picture window in Williston, VT. He broke his wing and it healed… but with calcification at the joint. He could no longer extend his wing completely, thus compromising his silent flight and ability to hunt. Because of his injury, he could not be released into the wild and he became a feathered ambassador for OFES. He enjoys sitting under an evergreen bough and “disappears” by being still. Bunyan is presumed a male because of his extremely small size- only 87 grams. Females are the larger of the species. Unlike most other owls that mate for life, saw-whets bond only for the breeding season, otherwise they are solitary. Bunyan was named after Paul Bunyan…a giant personality in a very small body.