That translates to BUMP in the night. This beautiful Great Horned Owl was hit by a car near the rest area south of Meeteetse a week ago last Saturday. Luckily the driver stopped immediately and picked him up. She lives in Thermop so called me Sunday morning then drove and met me at the rest area. She did all the right things to keep him safe and comfortable until the transfer.
Unfortunately BUMP has lost the use of his right eye, it was totally damaged in the collision. The good thing is that he's in excellent condition and has been eating a rat a day since arriving at IBR. Now all he has to do is to prove to me he can make live kills and I will release him back where he was found.
The bad news is that GHOs are now probably sitting on babies and if this is a bird old enough to have a mate we will have lost them. One parent, especially the female, is not able to both brood and feed the offspring. Until they are 10 days old the baby owls can't thermoregulate their temperature so have to be continually brooded by the female. The male's job is to bring the food to her for distribution. At some point the female will have to leave the nest to hunt leaving the chicks ungarded and open to the weather.
I can but hope this is a bachelor and there isn't a female waiting in vain for him to show up.
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