Species: Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio)
Intake Date: May 31, 2025
Whittington is our resident Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) and he arrived to the Wildlife Medical Clinic from Illinois Raptor Center on May 31, 2025. He was found in the wild by someone and kept for about a week before he was brought into the Illinois Raptor Center. Unfortunately, due to his prolonged time in captivity he became habituated to people and is way too friendly to be released back into the wild. However, that is not his only reason for being non-releasable. Illinois Raptor Center was concerned he had injuries to his wing, and they were correct. Our initial exam revealed chronic fractures along his left wing bones, his left eye had a pupil that was non-responsive to light and appeared to be a condition called Microphthalmia, and he had a large cataract in his right eye. Lucky for us, due to his young age (around a month old when he arrived), familiarity with humans, and overall good demeanor, it made him a great candidate to become a member of our Ambassador program.