Species: Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio)
Intake Date: March, 2015
Derby, our resident Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), was a beloved member of our ambassador program after being transferred to the Wildlife Medical Clinic from the Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky, Inc., in March, 2015. Her left wing was slightly drooping, and, upon reviewing radiographs taken, it was noted that this droop was due to multiple fractures in her wing’s forearm bones. Unfortunately, by the time we received Derby, the fractures were too far along in the healing process for us to attempt to fix so that she could regain full flight. As a result, Derby could not fully fly. Due to her unusually calm demeanor, she was an ideal candidate for our Education and Outreach Program.Over the last few years, Derby was a star member of our resident ambassador education team. She could be seen everywhere from daily walks with her trainers on the veterinary medicine campus to events with local schools, groups, and businesses, and even on local television. While occasionally grumpy, as all screech owls can be, she took to training and interactions with both our volunteers and the public naturally. Unfortunately, over the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday, Derby rapidly deteriorated without recognizable clinical signs and quietly passed away. As so often happens in wildlife medicine, her necropsy (animal autopsy) results were inconclusive, and we will never know the exact circumstances that lead to her passing. She is greatly missed by all who got to know her, handlers and public alike.
Fun Facts
Eastern Screech Owls have two different morphs—a grey morph and a reddish-brown (rufous) morph. The grey morph is much more common, with nearly two-thirds of the screech owl population being a grey morph. Regardless of the morph, the feather pattern that screech owls share help them blend into trees almost flawlessly, allowing them to nest and hunt while nearly invisible.