UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center is welcoming a new feathered resident: a fledgling great horned owl named Sunny.
The fluffy brown-and-buff feathered owlet is already on display at the Klingsberg Aviary at Shaver’s Creek, where staff have been taking turns keeping it company inside its outdoor enclosure. The owlet is the youngest bird the center has ever acquired, according to Paige Sutherland, wildlife program director at Shaver’s Creek.
Sutherland said the owlet was named Sunny because great horned owls are crepuscular — meaning they hunt at dawn and dusk, in the first and last moments of sunlight.
“He has also brought such a brightness to our lives,” she said.
Sunny is about seven weeks old and weighs 1,160 grams — about two and a half pounds — give or take a snack or two. Based on its size — female great horned owls are larger than males — the owlet is believed to be a male. Sutherland said the owl will continue to grow for another few weeks as its adult feathers continue to come in. An adult great horned owl can have a wingspan of up to four and a half feet.
“He’s close to his full body size,” Sutherland said. “The biggest thing that will change is his plumage, strength and abilities.”
Visitors can see Sunny any time the center is open. Shaver’s Creek offers guided “Meet the Creek” programs four times each weekend, and the 11 a.m. Saturday program specifically focuses on the aviary.
Sunny is practicing its new flight skills — flapping its wings and hopping and jumping onto low perches in its enclosure. Sunny enjoys pouncing on leaves and sticks, as well as frequent naps, preening, and shredding pinecones and bark.
Great horned owls, the largest owls in North America, are native to central Pennsylvania, but this owl came to the center from Wisconsin. A person found the baby owl, and by the time it was turned over to a rehab center there, it had already imprinted on humans, which means it will identify with humans for life and can’t be returned to the wild.
Sutherland urged people who find birds or other animals that they think are orphaned or injured to call their local rehab center before touching the animal or taking any further steps.
“A lot of times you shouldn’t do anything but enjoy the moment of discovery,” she said. “It’s very normal for baby owls and other young birds to be on the ground at a certain age.”
Shaver’s Creek, which is part of Penn State Outreach, had been hoping to acquire a great horned owl, which Sutherland said make good ambassadors to humans and can help communicate conservation messages for both their species and habitats.
Wildlife rehabilitation is an essential element of conserving species, Sutherland said. The priority is to support the return of healthy, capable animals back to the wild, but when an animal is deemed non-releasable, as in Sunny’s case, that’s when an educational facility like Shaver’s Creek steps in.
Providing high quality, individualized care to animals under human care is a critical piece of the conservation puzzle, Sutherland said. Connecting with residential wildlife to learn about their species and ecological niches builds compassion for wildlife and increases environmental literacy and conservation action. Sutherland said it’s gratifying when visitors are inspired to make lifestyle changes such as providing nest boxes or promoting the use of non-lead-based ammunition to protect scavengers.
“Nothing brings me more joy than to see our public fall in love with the wildlife who call Shaver’s Creek home,” she said. “Each animal here has their own unique quirks and characteristics and we encourage everyone to come discover who they connect with most!”
Sunny ended up at Shaver’s Creek because of connections between the center and the Wisconsin rehab organization. The center works with a wide-flung network of wildlife centers and conservation organizations to promote its conservation initiatives.
The center’s aviary is also home to two barred owls, an Eastern screech owl, a barn owl, a peregrine falcon, an American kestrel, a bald eagle, a golden eagle, a red-tailed hawk, a broad-winged hawk, a vulture and an American crow.
Visit the Shaver’s Creek website to learn more about the aviary and what else is happening at Shaver’s Creek.