Great Horned Owl Fledglings
These two great horned owls came from two different locations in southern Utah. One was found at one day old, when his nest was blown down in a storm, and brought to the Southwest Wildlife Foundation in Cedar City, Utah. The other was a about three weeks old when he was brought in for care.
These babies are almost seven weeks of age in this video. They are at an age we call them fledglings. Baby owls and many other types of birds outgrow their nests very quickly, before they are able to fly well, and spend some time on the ground near the base of a cliff or large tree where their nest may have been.
They exercise their wings and gain strength and the parents will feed them and encourage them to fly or hop from rock to rock or branch to branch to regain some height for safety.
It is best to leave baby birds where they are unless they are in immediate danger. Keep your pets and children away from the fledglings on the ground, or you can place them back in their nest tree (not necessarily the nest) or another location out of the reach of dogs and children.
