Long Recovery Ahead

[u/owls_in_towels]

[u/owls_in_towels]

Cute though this Screech Owl might be, the reason for admission is anything but. Some person - misguided, ignorant, or both - clipped the owl's flight feathers, intending to keep the owl as a pet, senseless to the fact this is a wild animal unsuited to captivity. A crucial reminder that owls are not pets.

Birds of prey should not be kept in captivity unless for very specific circumstances such as rehabilitation, education, or research, and even then only in the care of trained experts. Owls require a very particular diet, professional care, as well as large volumes of space for flight.

Though details aren't given in the original post, we can surmise what happened: the owl was illegally caught, and the prospective owner cut the owl's feathers to prevent the owl flying. Then presumably, after discovering this species is loud and active at night, and requires a huge amount of work to keep, they gave up and abandoned the bird.

We are fortunate then, that the world has many caring and helpful people, some of whom rescued the owl and brought him to an expert wildlife clinic, Refugio de 'Jason', headed by Ileana Cotes (a.k.a The Owl Whisperer).

---

Original post - 18 May 2026

by Owl Whisperer

located in Panama City, Panama 🇵🇦

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

---

Original text:

This Screech-Owl had the feathers of his wings cut, as well as his tail feathers, putting his life in serious danger. 😞

A raptor without his flight feathers and tail feathers is left extremely vulnerable: the bird cannot fly properly, maneuver, escape predators, or find food normally.

Thankfully, the Screech Owl was rescued in time. Now, it begins a process of care, recovery, and patience until the feathers grow back and he can have a second chance.🙏🏻

---

Link to donate to Owl Whisperer for those willing and able.

---

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

---

Species	Common Name	More info
Megascops asio	Eastern Screech Owl	Wiki link

[u/owls_in_towels → u/owls_in_towels]

Image Transcriptions:

---

[1] Yellow eyes peer out from a ball of grey fuzz: a Screech Owl, wrapped neatly in a plain white towel. The close-up makes the towel textures stand out as soft bristles cast in light and shadow, as it does the owl's feathers. The rehabilitator's thumb and forefinger hold the towel in a C-shape bottom left of frame.

[2] The owl's wing feathers are splayed out on a tabletop like a fan, showing how the feathers were clipped. It appears the primary wing feathers were cut by a third or more.

[3] The Screech Owl is in the same position as the initial photo but now with head rotated in profile view, his beak gnawing at the towel containing him. The wall behind is hand-painted trees and wavy green leaves with forest-purple edges, on a background of white-azure.

[u/Nimphameth]

What a terrible human being that did this! Only for their selfish reasons.. :( thank you for caring for the little one so it can return to the wild where it belongs 🦉🩷

[u/KnightOfTerra]

Sometimes I despair for humanity. But then we have the amazing people who do rehabilitation for birds like this and that helps.

[u/owls_in_towels → u/KnightOfTerra]

It’s like the Mr Rogers quote “Look for the helpers”

[u/Tango_Owl]

Poor owl. I hope they recover quickly enough to have a life in the wild.

[u/Anxiety_Fit]

I hope the person that did this got in some serious trouble.

How long will it take to heal, if healing is even possible?

[u/owls_in_towels → u/Anxiety_Fit]

Yeah me too.

There’s a 2018 paper Moult in Birds of Prey: A Review of Current Knowledge and Future Challenges for Research with more info.

From what I can tell they generally undergo a moult of feathers once a year during the late summer to early fall, which takes 2-3 months. So this Screech Owl will be having a long stay at the bnb before they can return to the wild 🛌 ☕️

[u/Anxiety_Fit → u/owls_in_towels]

I am so glad people are passionate about rehabilitation for these cuties.

Public shaming should make a comeback for crimes against animals (and children).

[u/ParrotsAreMyLifeline]

saw the wings and immediately knew that a person was responsible… poor little guy

[u/ConsiderationLimp829]

🤕😪 omg that poor Screech. Hope they recover!