# Got a mystery here - need help to ID these guys



## nabisho (Nov 18, 2004)

Some guy brought these 3 little fellows into the bird repair center. They were in bad shape, had their eyes swelled shut from infections, had a G.I. infection and were nearly starved to death. So we got them all fixed up and they are now on the mend but we can't figure out what they are - they're not from here in Northern Nevada that's for sure and the guy says he just found them wandering around in his yard? They aren't Great Horned or Barn Owls because those are still coated in white down at this age. And they aren't Burrowing Owls because their legs are too short? Anybody got any idea what they are - we need to know so when they are ready for release we can take them back to where they came from because they won't survive here in Northern Nevada. If anybody has seen guys like this B4 please let me know?

NAB 

They're mighty cute little fellows.


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## AZfiddler_1996 (Jul 13, 2005)

> Anybody got any idea what they are?


 _Cuties!! _lol I have no idea but they are certainly adorable!

Alice


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

There just so darn cute my gosh. 

Maybe there a Northern Spotted Owl or a Great horned owlthey look simular in colour too.

Ill get some pics.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Ok heres the Northern Spotted Owl And great horned owl but I think more on the spooted owl because I dont see any horns lol.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Nab,

Great job, these little guys are lookin' pretty darn good after some rehab @ the 'repair center'. Don't know enough about owls to help you out, but I did a little googling and found this site:

http://www.owling.com/Owling.htm

Has some great pictures and descriptions. Maybe Brad or Terry will know what you have there.

fp


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I think they might be Screech owls. There are several types of Screech Owls. We got one in the clinic recently and s/he looked like what you have there.
Being younglings makes it difficult to tell for sure.

Reti


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## nabisho (Nov 18, 2004)

*I'm leaning toward whiskered screech owls*

These guys have distinct wiskers but they don't have the eye sockets or the light colored breast of the screech owls. I don't think the guy that brought them in is telling the whole truth, they had to get up here somehow either by truck on some hay bales or somebody plucked them from the next and then found out getting caught with an endangered species can get you fined big time. Probably just going to have to wait until they mature some more - they're really hard to tell when they're so young. If they are wiskered screech owls it will be time for a road trip because they can't be released up here they wouldn't make it this far north.

NAB


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I leaning also towards whiskered screech owls. The coloring will change as they mature, but they do look like a lot like it. 

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

The three little muskateers are absolutely adorable no matter what kind of owl they are!  

Thanks for sharing the pics, NAB.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Nab,

Wow .. those are darling little owls! I don't have the first clue what they are but will ask on a couple of my lists where there are some owl experts. Will let you know what I find out.

Terry


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

My vote is with them being Western Screech Owls.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*Hi Nab,*

Checked with Paul (the one you bought your clock from). He's into birds and thought he might know...below is his reply... 


"It's hard to tell at that age but going by the size of the chicks and where they were supposedly found I'd vote for *Western Screech Owl*. Western Screech Owls are very common throughout the desert southwest (including Nevada) where as the Whiskered Screech Owl is normally found in extreme south eastern Arizona and into old Mexico. I'll send the photos to my brother Tom in Tucson and get his opinion too. He's a more knowledgeable birder than I am."

Hope this helps...any more news???


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

The consensus from all the rehabbers that I sent the photos to was definitely Western Screech Owls.

Terry


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## Pete Jasinski (Jan 2, 2005)

I agree with the vote of adorable


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## Happy (Dec 19, 2004)

I don't know what type of Owls these are, but just have to ask why you think they didn't originate in No. Nev. or why they wouldn't be able to survive there? I lived in No. Wyoming for 10 yrs. & there were all size Owls living & breeding there, & I'm sure that Topaz, Nev. is no more harsh that we were.... It looks like you did a super job getting these Eyas Owls fixed up. Thanks for helping them... It would also be helpful if we knew there weight to help identify what type they are, as a picture can distort the size........ Happy


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## nabisho (Nov 18, 2004)

*Never have seen any like these guys up here in 30 years of rehabbing owls*

That's the main reason we think they were probably brought in by someone. And just finding 3 little guys like this wandering around is a little fishy, no nest nearby, no parents nearby? They're very young so if the parents were in the area they would most certainly be nearby and in a very excited protection mode if these guys had got out of the nest and were just wandering around the ground. And if the parents were anywhere nearby the little fellows would not have been so starved and in such bad shape when they came in. They might be Western Screech owls but they don't quite look and make sounds like these fellows that's why we're leaning toward Whiskered Screech owls in from So. Arizona or Mexico, these guys make a beak clicking sound a lot like the Burrowing Owls and GHO's do and it's hard to see them from the pictures but they do have a distinct set of thick whiskers. These 3 are just hilarious, the little tiny guy always hides under the big guy's wing whenever we open the box. He will run and stick his face in the corner head down as if since he can't see you anymore then you must not be able to see him right? And the middle size guy has a Clint Eastwood complex - you open the box and he kind of puffs up as if to say "Go ahead punk make my day" and tries to stare you down.

NAB


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Nab, 

How big are these baby owls? If you guesstimate in inches how long they might be, this could help identify them. They sure are cute and interesting sounding


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## nabisho (Nov 18, 2004)

*Big guy is now over 6 ounces*

All 3 of the little fellows are thriving and eating like pigs. Their eye infections have cleared up 100% and even the little fellow is up over 5 ounces now. That means they must be Western Screech Owls in from California, so it looks like when release time comes we will have to take a trip over the hill and release them down around Sonora or Jackson where they can thrive. I'll try to get pictures come release day - thanks for all the input and owl info links, they will be handy in the future.

NAB


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

mr squeaks said:


> Checked with Paul (the one you bought your clock from). He's into birds and thought he might know...below is his reply...
> 
> 
> "It's hard to tell at that age but going by the size of the chicks and where they were supposedly found I'd vote for *Western Screech Owl*. Western Screech Owls are very common throughout the desert southwest (including Nevada) where as the Whiskered Screech Owl is normally found in extreme south eastern Arizona and into old Mexico. *I'll send the photos to my brother Tom in Tucson and get his opinion too. *He's a more knowledgeable birder than I am."
> ...


THANKS, NAB, for the update!! Those guys are just the CUTEST!! I bet they do have personality PLUS! Look forward to further updates... 

*Got another e-mail from Paul and he said his brother, Tom, also thinks they are Western Screechers...*


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*The Three Musketeers:::::::::::::::::::::::::::;*

HI NABISHO,How are the three MUSKETEERS doing? I hope all is well with them. GEORGE


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

They look like the Owls that have their nests on the ground in the Desert, we use to see these kind or simular ones in Grand Junction Colorado when we lived there. How about Great Gray Owls? They are all over the area from where you are from.


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