Bristol County

Great Horned owlet reunites with family after being blown from nest in Wareham

WAREHAM, Mass. — After being blown from its nest from a Wednesday night windstorm, a Great Horned owlet has finally been reunited with its family.

The Cape Wildlife Center found the angry cotton ball in a backyard in Wareham.

A strong gust of wind knocked the owlet out of his nest, and he was a still a few weeks away from being ready to fly on his own.

Rescuers arrived on scene and determined he was in good condition and had no apparent injuries. The best course of action, they decided, was to build a “false nest” in hopes that his parents would return.

The homeowner, Karl, helped the team build the nest using a wooden crate.

After giving the cotton ball a quick meal of chopped mice, he was placed in the nest.

Last night, the owlet finally enjoyed a meal with his family after a two day hiatus.

The Cape Wildlife Center would like to remind residents that not all owlets out of the nest need help, and that many go through a “brancher” stage where they climb and explore their surroundings. The best thing to do if you see an owl out of its nest is to call a licensed professional.

-We apologize for the double post of this, #facebook wasn’t very user friendly earlier… Here is the actual video with the updated audio of the owls communicating!!!- Ok folks get ready we have a feel good post to get your day started right! On April 21st, the great horned owlet was transported to Cape Wildlife Center to be checked out. After some food and hydration it was given a clean bill of health! Officer Cloutier was able to return the owlet to the area where it was located and with the gracious help of the property owners and neighbors a makeshift nest was made. The owlet was placed in the nest with hopes the parents would locate the owlet. In addition, the property owner provided us with a Ring camera to monitor the activity during the evening. Well, our hearts are filled with joy! Last night the owlet was reunited with its family and they had dinner together! Please check out the amazing video of the owls communicating and the reunification!!! The owlet has about a week or so to go before it takes its own flight so we’re excited to monitor its progress! Thank you to all involved that helped us with this project!!!

Posted by Wareham Department of Natural Resources on Friday, April 22, 2022

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW