Barred Owl, Strix varia
The barred owl, Strix varia, are found throughout North America, but most commonly in the East. They are commonly found in a variety of habitats such as upland woods, conifers, bottomland forests and swamps. A few features that stand out are their yellow beaks, large brown eyes, and rounded heads.
Arrival to the Wildlife Medical Clinic
At the end of August 2024, juvenile Barred Owl 24-1882 was brought in by a good Samaritan to the University of Illinois’ Wildlife Medical Clinic (WMC) with an injury of unknown origin. Upon examination by the veterinary student volunteers and veterinarians in the WMC, an open right distal carpometacarpal fracture was palpated, notable trauma was seen in both eyes, and damaged rectrices or tail feathers were present. It was determined sedated radiographs were needed to confirm the carpometacarpal luxation, so those were performed. Open fracture care was administered and a splint was placed.
Once the diagnosis was determined, the team began with a treatment plan. That plan involved administering antibiotics and pain medication to help with any pain due to the fracture and injured eyes. Later that day, the patient was placed under general anesthesia for an arthrodesis procedure to promote the healing of the luxation. Wound care was administered and a figure eight wrap splint was placed to keep the wing immobile and hopefully prevent further damage. The patient was continually monitored post procedure and for the days following the procedure. Pain medication and antibiotics were continued and a splint change was done under sedation a week after the surgery. The patient had a great appetite and continued to heal.
Continued Care
The continued care for this patient was the administration of PROM. PROM stands for Passive Range Of Motion; it is performed under general anesthesia and the ROM for the joint is measured in degrees. The right elbow and the metacarpal joints are extended for two minutes, two times to ensure full range of motion of the wing. This procedure helps ensure that lack of movement brought on by the splint does not cause further damage to the joints. PROM was administered a couple times weekly for several weeks following the initial procedure. During that time, the wound was continually assessed and monitored for any changes. The patient continued to improve and was able to discontinue pain meds. Additional radiographs were taken to confirm PROM and splinting was no longer necessary. Once this was confirmed, the patient was ready to be moved to a flight cage.
Remaining Hopeful
Before heading to the flight cage an exam was completed by a veterinarian and range of motion was found to be almost normal, despite noting feather damage including broken right alular feathers and rectrices(tail feathers). The patient was placed in a flight cage for continued healing and an imping procedure was performed to ensure it can be released back into the wild. The imping procedure is basically just replacing broken or missing feathers with donor feathers and reinforcing the feather shaft to ensure the feathers remain in place until the next molt.
Conclusion
Once the imping procedure was completed, the barred owl was monitored closely to ensure the new feathers stayed in place and that it was able to maneuver it’s enclosure. Unfortunately, we do not have large flight cages, so we worked with another licensed rehabilitator that does have large flight enclosures and transported the owl to them. This allowed the rehabilitators to monitor it’s flight better before released and also help to keep the animal fit and conditioned for release.
Written By: Katie M., class of 2027
