Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio)
This beautiful little owl was brought to RMRP in July of 2020. Upon admission, he was found to have a broken jaw that already healed in an odd alignment. He was a very young bird and found near a road. It is probable that on one of his first solo explorations he was hit by a car. Luckily, he was still being cared for by his parents and was not hungry or dehydrated.
At RMRP, the young owl was given lots of rest, nutritious food, and time to recover from his ordeal. Although he is able to fly and catch prey, his mal-aligned jaw makes it hard for him to eat prey items that have not been prepared for him by humans. Also due to the jaw injury, his beak does not grow regularly and needs constant attending to keep a normal shape. Because of these issues, he was deemed non-releasable.
As an Educational Ambassador, this Eastern Screech Owl has adapted very well! He is very curious of everything going on around him, and is very interested in any training that involves treats!