Found an owl or owlet: what to do
Based on advice from the Barn Owl Trust and the RSPCA. Read it all before you pick anything up.
A fluffy young tawny owl on the ground
A young tawny owl on the ground is usually fine: it is “branching” and its parents will feed it. Leave it where it is, or put it up on a branch nearby, the same day and before dusk. Barn Owl Trust
Young tawny owls leave the nest before they can fly. This is called “branching”; their parents keep feeding them wherever they are, even on the ground. source The Barn Owl Trust says the vast majority of owlets picked up by people are healthy. source
Owlet ID trick: young tawny owls have vivid pink eyelids; young barn owls have dark eyes and dark eyelids. source
A young barn owl on the ground
A young barn owl on the ground is different. The adults normally feed only in the nest, so a fit owlet must go back into the actual nest. Barn Owl Trust
Visiting an occupied barn owl nest normally needs a licence. The agencies are unlikely to require one for returning an owlet once, but repeated visits need one. source
If you can’t get it back into the nest safely, contact a rehabilitator: the Barn Owl Trust keeps a list of bird vets and rehabilitators.
An adult owl you can walk up to
A healthy adult owl should be impossible to pick up, so an adult owl you can easily approach needs help. source
Take an owl straight to a bird-experienced vet if it has a broken bone, an eye injury, blood in the beak or ears, or maggots, or is obviously very ill. source
If you have to contain it
It is legal to pick up an injured or sick wild owl, provided the sole intention is to release it once it can survive. source
The RSPCA counts birds of prey among larger animals that shouldn’t be handled. RSPCA Bird flu: the RSPCA says don’t touch or handle sick or dead birds; if you must, wash your hands thoroughly. RSPCA
The Barn Owl Trust’s practical advice, if handling is unavoidable: If you must handle it, use thin leather gloves or drop a towel over it. Watch the feet: they can do more damage than the beak. source
Keep it in a solid-sided pet carrier or a ventilated cardboard box (about 30×30×60 cm) with a towel inside, somewhere quiet and at room temperature. source
Write down exactly where you found it (a grid reference or what3words). The Barn Owl Trust calls this crucially important. source Healthy owls are often subdued in a box and can play dead while being handled. source
Don’t try to tube-feed or force fluids without being shown how; that is a job for experienced vets and rehabilitators. source Hand-rearing an owlet and releasing it later is not the best thing for it. source
Who to contact
- England & Wales: RSPCA (England & Wales): report injured wildlife online or call 0300 123 8960. RSPCA
- Scotland: the Scottish SPCA.
- Northern Ireland: the USPCA, or a local vet.
- Isle of Man: the Manx SPCA (see its wild birds advice), or a local vet.
- Anywhere in the UK: a bird-experienced vet, or a rehabilitator from the Barn Owl Trust’s directory.
- A captive or escaped owl in trouble: For a captive owl in trouble, the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty line is 0300 1234 999. source
We only print phone numbers we could check on the organisation’s own pages. For Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, please use the links above for current contact details.
Found a ringed owl, alive or dead? Report ringed barn owls you find: ring recoveries feed vital science, and 1 in 7 ringed barn owls are recovered. source
Dead owls: Dead owls, eggs and feathers are different. The law bans possessing wild-bird parts unless you can show they were obtained lawfully, and selling them is illegal unless you are a registered person. source