Small but mighty little owls in our care

16.07.11

Two juvenile little owls, a species which is one of Britain’s smallest but fiercest predators, are being cared for at RSPCA wildlife centres. Both were found alone and vulnerable but have made excellent progress.

A victim of litter

The older owl is about six weeks old and is lucky to be alive, having ingested part of a rubber band. He was brought in to our Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings, East Sussex after he was found by himself without a nest nearby. Staff at the centre realised he had eaten a rubber band when he regurgitated it in one of the pellets owls produce as part of their digestive process.

Richard Thompson, wildlife rehabilitation team manager at Mallydams Wildlife Centre, said:

It’s quite likely that to a little owl a rubber band could look like an earthworm. An animal doesn’t see it as litter – it will see it as potential food.

Young animals are exploring their environment and trying new things all the time, so litter really is a potential danger. A rubber band can choke an animal so it’s lucky this little owl was found.

Clean up your act

We're calling for people to clean up their acts and think before they drop litter. As well as being a choking hazard, rubber bands can get caught around the necks of small animals and the beaks of birds.

Please remember - litter costs lives.

Road traffic accident

A younger little owl was brought in to our West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset after being found on the road by a member of the public in Wellington, on the border of Devon and Somerset.

It’s believed he may have been hit by a car as he was very weak and unwell when he was found. After a few weeks in our care he's looking like a much brighter-eyed and happier bird.

Peter Venn, manager at West Hatch Wildlife Centre, said:

After tube-feeding he’s turned around completely and is now looking good. Little owls are quite charming creatures, they never grow very big.

This baby owl was less than a month old when he was brought in, with no flight feathers, he looked like a little bundle of fluff. Juvenile owls are not fully fledged until they are about five weeks old.

Small but mighty

Little owls only grow about eight inches high but despite their size they are formidable hunters. They are capable of attacking and killing young rabbits weighing as much as they do, using their exceptionally powerful talons.

However they are equally happy munching on a worm or a beetle.