Oregon Zoo Acquires Two Saw-whet Owls and One Barred Owl

By Bill LaMarche 

Portland, OR - Two magnificent saw-whet owls and one wide-eyed barred owl are the newest residents of the Cascade Stream and Pond section of the Oregon Zoo's Great Northwest exhibit. All three birds were rescued following injuries sustained in the wild.

Pip and Squeak, the saw-whet owls, were found in the Oregon wilderness and rescued from life-threatening situations -- one from the claws of a house cat and the other from a roadside, where presumably it had been hit by a car. The owls' ages are unknown; one is female and the other male.

"Pip and Squeak are very cute and seem quite happy in their new home," said Kristina Smith, a keeper at the zoo. "Both owls appear to be fully recovered. They spend most of the day sleeping, but they are curious about afternoon feedings and occasionally arise to greet us."

Saw-whet owls, also called Acadian owls, are exceptionally small, making them easy targets for house cats and other, larger predators. They generally weigh less than a quarter of a pound and measure about 7 or 8 inches long. The wingspans of these yellow-eyed beauties, which reach lengths of 18 to 22 inches, assist them in warding off predators. Saw-whets are strictly nocturnal and begin hunting every evening around dusk.

The zoo's other nocturnal survivor, a barred owl found injured on a roadside near Carthage, Mo., was rescued by staff from McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital and turned over to the Missouri Conservation Department. After weeks of nursing it back to health, doctors transferred the owl to Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo., but the facility unfortunately didn't have the capacity to hold it. Because the bird had sustained significant injuries and was nearly blind, it couldn't be released back into the wild, so the Oregon Zoo offered help.

The gender of the barred owl is still undetermined since it's a wild animal, but zookeepers are in the process of finding out and naming the bird. The owl has acclimated well to its new home and currently weighs more than a pound and a half.

Barred owls are medium-sized, varying in length from about 15 to 29 inches and in weight from about 1 to 2 pounds. Their plumage is marked by white horizontal barring about the chest and vertical barring on the belly.

These birds live up to 23 years in zoos and about 10 years in the wild. Most deaths in the wild are the result of human activities, including shootings and auto accidents, but great horned owls are also natural enemies, preying on animals up to two or three times their own weight.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $10.50 (12-64), seniors $9 (65+), children $7.50 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

Photo: A barred owl, rescued from a roadside near Carthage, Mo., is one of three new owls at the Oregon Zoo's Great Northwest exhibit. Photo by Carli Davidson, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

Oregon Zoo " 4001 SW Canyon Rd. " Portland, Oregon 97221 " 503-226-1561

To view Oregon Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-382-Oregon_Zoo