Barred owl finds new home on DI

Daniel Prohaska of the Center for Birds of Prey knelt down atop a grassy bluff alongside a pond behind a home on Farr Street. As the sun set over a line of trees in the distance, he placed a small white box lined with tiny holes on the ground in front of him.

“Is everybody ready?” he asked the small crowd gathered for the occasion.

And with that, Prohaska opened the box and a majestic blur of brown and white soared up and out.

“He found a tree right away!” exclaimed Daniel Island resident Carol Wood, who attended the event with her husband, Bob.

“He’s got that beautiful brown camouflage,” responded Prohaska, who serves as development director for the Awendaw-based non-profit organization.

The guest of honor was a barred owl recently treated and rehabilitated by the Center for Birds of Prey after suffering injuries due to a collision with a car in Summerville. After several weeks, the Center staff determined the owl was ready to be released. Daniel Island residents Laurie and Dean Hubbs, supporters of the Center, offered to host a release event in the backyard of their home on December 2.

“It just touches my heart,” said Laurie, after witnessing the release.

“We’re excited to be able to get him back into the wild where he belongs,” said Prohaska. “...It’s a rigorous process to get these birds ready for release. There is critical care, there is intermediate care, and then there is advanced flight recovery. And just like when you’re going through a recovery and recuperation process, you have to be very careful how you move these birds along. We don’t want them to stay in our care a day longer than they have to.”

When asked about the owl’s age or sex, Prohaska said they were unable to determine that information.

“It’s very difficult to determine age,” he added, noting the Center staff members believe the owl is an adult. “Over half of all birds don’t survive their first year. The average life span of a bird is actually rather small. If they can make it through their first year, their odds of making it in the long run are much greater.”

Prohaska also told the crowd that the owl released has only one eye, as the other was damaged during the accident and had to be removed during treatment.

“That sounds like a very traumatic thing to happen, but birds are very adaptable - even with one eye, because owls hunt mostly by sound,” he said.

After landing in a nearby tree, the owl flew to the rooftop of a neighboring house and stayed for several minutes before lifting off again in the direction of a wooded area off Grand Council Street. One resident asked Prohaska if the owl would remain on Daniel Island.

“It will likely try to stay,” he responded. “This is the perfect type of habitat. A lot will depend on how abundant the prey is. If there is a big food supply – lots of mice around – it will very likely stay. The larger the prey population, the more raptors that ecosystem can hold.”

The Center for Birds of Prey was founded in 1991 and currently has more than 120 birds representing more than 50 species on exhibit. Last year, the Center impacted over 29,000 students and teachers in the state of South Carolina through its education outreach program. They have a total of 12 employees, as well as a volunteer staff of about 80 members who contributed over 18,000 service hours last year.

Prohaska reports that one in eight birds, roughly 12 percent of all birds worldwide, are at risk of becoming extinct in the next 100 years. Because birds of prey are found in a number of types of habitats, they offer an excellent warning system for human health.

“They are critical indicators of the overall health of the ecosystem,” said Prohaska. “By studying these birds, we’re learning about ourselves. We’re learning about problems that are ultimately going to impact you and me.”

For more information on the Center for Birds of Prey, visit http://www.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org.