Steady diet of road kill helps great horned owl rehabilitate at Waterman center

[Donna]

APALACHIN -- At first, the great horned owl didn't seem much interested in being returned to the wild. As more than 40 people watched, the owl clacked its beak and held fast to his perch at Waterman Conservation Education Center, before finally flying to freedom on a chilly Sunday.

The great horned owl, likely injured by an automobile, was found lying in a pasture in Vestal in August.

"He tried to fly, but couldn't," said Owego-based animal rehabilitator Carole LaPlante who took in the raptor before handing her over to Waterman a month later.

While taking care of the owl, LaPlante said, she fed it carrion.

"I picked up a lot of road kill," she said.

The owl, with a 4-foot wingspan, is about nine months old, said Scott MacDonald executive director of Waterman.

Prior to freeing the horned owl, MacDonald introduced the crowd to permanent Waterman raptor residents, a barn owl and red-tailed hawk. As children gave their rapt attention, the director discussed the diet, attributes and habits of birds of prey, including the largest in the world, the Andean condor.

The great horned owl, MacDonald said, is the most aggressive bird in New York and he's hoping the one he set free will make a home in Waterman's woods.

"There's a lot of animals for her to eat," he said. "I'm hoping she'll stay."

Once the owl was released, a nearby flock of crows made a ruckus that lasted several minutes. Amateur owl expert Sean Kopacko, 11, said he thinks she'll be fine, though there are always dangers in the wild.

"Being an owl and being out in daylight is a bad thing," he said. "There's always a chance of mobbing."

Mobbing, he explained, is what the crows were trying to do. While one crow alone isn't much of a problem, when they get together, they can give a great horned owl a run for its money, said Kopakco, of Apalachin.

"They're a force to be reckoned with in numbers," he said.