Feeding an owl at home. Home nest. How to tame an owl and is it worth doing. Diseases and treatment

True owls are carnivores by nature. The bird, harmless at first glance, is equipped with sharp claws and beak, with the help of which it grabs and torments suitable animal prey. These feathered individuals have sufficient intelligence and know that quiet and unnoticed hunting can bear great fruit.

Today it has become very popular to tame wild predators and owls are no exception. If you decide to keep house owls, you need to acquire important and very useful information about grooming.

Brief description of the species

For about ten million years, these intelligent birds have been living in the north of the American continent. They can also be found on the territories of hot deserts, in spacious steppes, on the slopes of high mountains or near a person's dwelling. Owls have a huge responsibility: They diligently ensure that the population of rapidly breeding rodents, capable of exterminating a large number of cultivated crops, does not exceed the optimal level. On the territory of the Russian Federation, there are about 17 species of these interesting animals.

On a note!

You should be very careful with wild owls, as they can carry infectious bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. The risk of getting sick in this case is very high.

The breeder must remember that each bird naturally retains a love of freedom and the innate needs of the body. Over time, domestic owls will begin to forget about the rules of life in the wild and without the help of the owner, her hours will be numbered. It follows that by taking an animal with you, you must bear a huge responsibility for it, especially if you decide to purchase a pair and want to see the offspring in the form of small and healthy owls.

These feathered predators are very gentle creatures and react sharply to changes in the external environment, although they seem formidable and harsh. It is very difficult for an animal to adapt to new conditions. Hosts should be prepared for the fact that the owl may not survive the initial stage of meeting people. On the other hand, after this gentle animal has become accustomed to the breeder, a long separation has a heavy effect on the psychological health of the feathered pet.

Domestic owls require specific nutrition and conditions of detention... If a person is not able to provide her with all this, it is more humane to abandon the idea of ​​an institution. The bird has a repulsive smell, and when you try to pet him, he will not reciprocate, like cats or dogs. The bird will be betrayed, but only on a mental level.

Domestic owl behavior

The cage is in no way suitable for this feathered predator, as it can be severely injured when trying to make any maneuver.

Best for an owl separate spacious room without interior details that the bird can spoil.

• The windows of the room must be curtained with a dense fabric that does not allow light to pass through.
• Special shelves are mounted on the walls, reminiscent of tree branches. Be sure to cover them with softening material. An old cabinet is good as an artificial hollow for owls. The chandeliers will have to be dismantled, as your favorites will definitely break it.
• These pets love to swim, so they need a small tank to change the water in daily.

Predators need full game: rodents or small birds. To maintain health, you should feed your pet not only dead, but also fresh carcasses. The owl must consume food along with feathers and bones. When raising a cub, hand-feed him in small portions, but do not forget about caution. Once a week, the pet needs to be put on a diet, giving only water. Thus, you will save the domestic owl from obesity.

Important!

Eight to ten hours after the feast, the bird should regurgitate pellet, a mixture of everything undigested in the stomach. If this does not happen, there is a high probability that the feathered animal is sick.

The health of a bird (adult or small owls) is primarily determined by the consistency of the droppings. In a pet that is not sick with anything, the feces have a white base color with dark and hard blotches. Very thin droppings with a bad odor and a bright color indicate a disease. The pellet should also not emit a stench or be mixed with blood. A sick bird is deprived of appetite, has no inherent activity, is motionless for a long time, and the plumage becomes dirty and sticky. If any of the symptoms appear, you must contact a specialist.

There is a special form of vaccination for domestic owls., which gives immunity to most of the known avian pathologies. Together with the injection, the specialist prescribes vitamins and minerals, since birds lose a lot while living in city apartments.

How to make friends with a predator?

The first time after meeting, many birds do not eat anything at all and fearfully huddle in a corner. Soon, the owl should be active and take food offered by the owner. When the predator realizes that you do not want to harm him, you can start the training process. Wear leather gloves to protect yourself from claws ... Be patient and wait until the owl stops hissing or clicking on your manipulations and voice. No amount of imposition will bear fruit in domestication.

If the owner wants to go for a walk with his pet, it is worth purchasing the wraps (leather cords connecting the bird's paws and the owner's glove). Put on the device from the first days so that the animal gets used to it. A domestic owl is not averse to playing with balls, but it is worth hiding too small objects from it, as the bird can swallow them.

Purchasing a pet

Suitable for content those species that are distinguished by unpretentiousness and mental balance (tawny owl, barn owls, owls). You should buy an animal only in specialized nurseries where ringing of birds is practiced. There should be a mark on the ring that matches the information specified in the documentation for the animal.

You don't need to think about how to catch an owl. Wild birds are difficult to train, begin to miss nature and are capable of carrying pathogenic bacteria. It is very dangerous and inhumane to domesticate a bird from the forest.

Little owlets best suited for domestication. They tolerate the adaptation process more easily and are several times more pliable during training. The cost of an owlet can be 12,000 rubles. Rare species are valued twice as much.

After watching videos about owls and movies about Harry Potter on the Internet, many people have a thought - why not have an owl in their house? Owls are so funny and cute, so obediently and calmly sit on the arm, allow themselves to be stroked ... If they keep big parrots in their houses, then why is the owl worse?

If you were the owner of a large parrot, then I'm sure you have enough common sense not to take an owl into your apartment.

For everyone else, those who have not dealt with large birds, but really want to have an owl as a pet, everything written below is addressed. Maybe somewhere I'm exaggerating, but basically, everything that will be written further is very close to the truth.

You see, the whole point is that, unlike parrots, owls are birds of prey. They are not omnivorous like crows and not "fruit-eaters" like parrots, owls are hunters accustomed to hunt game for themselves. It is a very, very bad idea to keep an owl as a pet. But, nevertheless, if you are one of those who would sacrifice the happiness of a poor animal or bird for your personal satisfaction, let me give you some details so that you know what you will have to deal with if you suddenly decide to get yourself an owl. ... I hope that after reading this article you will change your mind.

General information about owls

I emphasize once again that owls are birds of prey. These cute "fuzzies" have sharp beaks and claws designed to kill and tear apart prey. Owls are very cunning and dodgy, and their flight is silent, which allows them to attack and kill their prey even before she sees them.

Owls feed on all kinds of small mammals. The size of their prey is limited only by the size of the owl itself. The larger the owl, the larger the animal it can kill and eat. You can be sure that if you have a hamster, cat or small dog in your house, their death from the blow of powerful claws is only a matter of time. Of course, there are exceptional cases of "friendship", owls and cats, for example. But, that's why they are exceptions, to once again emphasize the rules.

The immobility of the owl's eyes is fully compensated for by the ability to rotate its head 270 degrees in the horizontal plane and 180 degrees in the vertical plane. This gives a perfect all-round view, and the owl will never miss anything from what is happening around it.

Owls are monogamous. They mate for life and are very attached to their families and nests.

If, having learned all this, you still want to have an owl in your house - read on.

Owls as pets

Keeping an owl in a home is illegal in most countries. Owls are only allowed to be kept by those who breed them to replenish the population or for use in educational programs. Some groups of individuals may temporarily keep an owl for treatment and rehabilitation, but not as a pet. You can get permission to keep an owl if you are a professional falconer (you have a license) and use an owl as a bird of prey. But this permission is issued only because the bird is virtually free and retains its natural abilities and behavior exactly as in the wild.

When considering an owl as a pet, you should take into account that large owls can live up to 50 years or more, while smaller ones can easily live up to 20 years. This means that you will have to make, in fact, life-long commitments of love, courtship, allocation of time, energy and money.

If you have not given up on your intention to take the owl into your house now, I will continue.

And now a little more about the reasons why I strongly oppose keeping an owl at home and what you will face if you take an owl home as a pet:

• Owls are very vulnerable and susceptible to change. They are not as independent and menacingly lonely as they look. If you go on vacation, the owl will not only not accept food from the other person, but will also be very aggressive towards the stranger. Moreover, everyone will be "strangers" to the owl, except for the one who feeds and cares for her all the time. And if this someone the owl chooses you, then your long absence can not only inflict severe moral trauma on the owl, but also literally kill it.
• Taking care of an owl through trial and error is a very bad option. Even with the usual pets - dogs and cats, which we know about from childhood, problems arise. And in the case of an owl, you will have to study everything you need to keep it properly, because only you will be responsible for this bird. Everything from feeding, food choices, illnesses, possible infections to routine daily care, you only have to know and do by yourself. The owl will not let anyone else come to him.
• You can't just put an owl on a perch and leave to go about your business. This bird is used to living in pairs, and in this case its “pair” is you. The owl will not let you forget about it and will scream very loudly, demanding your attention. You will have to devote a lot of time to it, including to give it the opportunity to fly. The bird is in dire need of flight exercise, so it will demand it from you (literally).
• A lot of dirty work awaits you. The owl sheds every year, so get ready to scoop feathers and pellets from a wide variety of locations. Owl pellets (pellets) are a mixture of down, feathers and everything that the bird's stomach has not digested. Yes, and one more thing, you will have to be careful and watch your step, because if you keep an owl at home, you never know what to get into, I mean pellet or droppings. By the way, the owl is not a vegetarian, so its droppings smell like that.
• You will need a large, separate freezer to store your owl food. Do not think that the bird will be able to feed on store or even market meat of pigs, cattle or hatching chickens for a long time. She needs game. You have to get the game somewhere and pay for it. Can you imagine having a freezer filled with dead animals in your apartment? But this is not all the "charm". When an owl eats, it does not keep a piece of pineapple neatly in its paw (as a parrot does). Having pressed the prey to a branch, a pole or to any other surface, the owl tears it mercilessly. The insides, intestines, stomach, kidneys, etc. are flying on the sides. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from the terrible stench emanating from the insides scattered around the room, you will have to gut the game yourself before giving it to the owl. The chunks of meat will still fly around and not smell very good somewhere behind the cupboard, but the insides smell even worse. But even such precautions won't save you from having to clean up rotten and smelly mucus from walls, cabinets, ceilings, and floors.
• Let me remind you one last time that owls are wild birds of prey. A bird of prey can, during fun and play, unexpectedly attack without any warning or announcement of its intentions. The maintenance of an owl is 24 hours of constant work and attention, including deep and shallow scratches from its claws on your body with pain and screams.
• Even though you make an owl a pet, it will never become a pet. You will not get the joy of having an owl that you can get from a dog or cat. You will never be able to hug her, cuddle and really stroke her. She will not let you do this, but even if she does, then believe me, she smells just awful.
• The mating season is a real hell for the owner of an owl that does not find its partner. You will have to come to terms with her marriage cries day and night. It is possible that the owl will consider you its partner (partner) (more likely this will happen if you take it into the house as a chick). At the same time, she will actively try to enter into an intimate relationship with you, and in this case, you will become her property. The owl will indiscriminately attack anyone who tries to approach you or enters "yours with her" territory.
• Forget expensive furniture if you have an owl in your home. Anything that can be scratched will be scratched by her claws. Pillows torn to shreds, stuffed toys, crumbled bedspreads, tablecloths and bed linen will be a common thing for you.

After reading all this, think, why keep this majestic animal in the house, depriving her of the right to live in freedom, or even ... the right to die (but also free), worthy of such a beautiful bird?

Owl at home - it looks as exotic as keeping a snake, iguana or tarantula spider, since there are no special decorative species of owls. This means that all those who dare to settle a bird of prey at home are dealing with a wild representative.

Before purchasing such a pet (and it is better to do it in a specialized store), you need to ask what types of owls are best adapted to home conditions. And proper feeding is not the last thing. Otherwise, you can only kill the bird.

Practice shows that long-eared owls, marsh owls, tawny owls and owls tolerate housekeeping well. It is advisable to start an owlet, and not an adult, because it becomes easier to get used to new conditions.

The condition of the bird and life expectancy will directly depend on conditions as close as possible to natural ones. It is clear that this is not easy to do. After all, an owl is a nocturnal bird that prefers hunting for small animals. Therefore, she will have to feed her live food: mice, chickens and something similar in size.

The digestive system of owls is arranged in such a way that they swallow small animals whole, digesting bones, cartilages, and partly skin and feathers. All this is vital for the normal well-being of the bird, therefore, such a feeding option as fresh meat from the market or thawed from the supermarket is suitable as a measure that can help out in exceptional cases.

The owl will have to "sacrifice" a small rodent or chick either alive or freshly killed. We must agree that not every animal lover will stand this order of things. Moreover, the bird should not sit constantly in the cage. The apartment will have to be adapted for its flights, providing it with special "branches of wood or metal.

You can diversify the owl menu. Its diet will depend on its habitat in nature, because in their usual environment, owls feed not only on mice and small chicks, but prefer insects and fish, snails and worms, moths. If there is a lack of bone material, at home you can resort to bone meal or eggshells.

Knowing what the owls eat, it will be necessary to roll the pieces in the feathers in the case of feeding beef or pork meat. This is a necessary condition, because after eating, the bird must form a so-called "pellet", that is, burp off a part of the skin or feather. Despite the fact that the owl regurgitates this part of the eaten, some part is digested. Violation of this requirement can lead to a failure in the digestive system.

The insides scattered around the corners need to be collected in time, until the unpleasant smell from the remains begins to spread. You can do otherwise, immediately clean the insides, before offering dinner to the owl. True, this does not guarantee cleanliness and order, since you can always step on other leftovers from the lunch - the pellet.

The number and size of servings depends on the size of the individual itself. So, for an adult bird of the above species, it is necessary to receive daily a couple of mice or chickens, or half a rat. Unloading is supposed to be done once a week. A drinking bowl filled with fresh water should be kept at all times.

For both an adult and a small owl, it is advisable to give food from hands at first. So the bird quickly adapts and gets used to the owner. Domestic owls are different from other pets, they do not need affection. It is not necessary to pick it up without any unnecessary reason, it only causes anxiety in the freedom-loving bird.

An adult bird, finding itself in an unfamiliar environment, may completely refuse to eat during the first days. Then you need to persistently, in small pieces, push the necessary feed into it. As a rule, after 3-4 days the bird will adapt and begin to eat.

Although owls are easier to accustom to captivity, they also require more care. A small owlet will need 1-2 mice daily. The kid still does not know how to tear food with his paws, so it is better to cut it into small pieces.

A pair of mice for an owlet is practically the norm for an adult bird, but it needs to grow and develop. Small rodents can be purchased at a regular pet store, but in order to stock up for future use, sometimes there is not enough live food there. It is quite possible to buy mice, day-old chickens and quails on the poultry market, which is what the owners of an exotic pet do, buying food in bulk.

When feeding quails to an owl, you need to be vigilant, because unlike mice and chickens, which are safely allowed to be fed with offal, it is recommended to gut the quails, as they can be carriers of diseases.

As chickens require constant attention from their owners, so does an owlet. You should pay attention to the quality of the pellet so that there are no impurities of blood and a bad smell. Poor quality food or food that does not meet the necessary criteria can cause digestive upset. In this case, the owlet loses its appetite, becomes inactive, sits with its eyes closed. This is a reason to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Despite all the difficulties of care and feeding, many still get along with owls in the same apartment. Although, for this you have to change your way of life, removing from the bird's field of vision all objects that it can spoil or hurt about them. At night, the bird will not give rest to the owners, because it is at this time that it becomes active.

Frequently asked questions about Owls

The number of owl species is critically low. Currently, owls, like all other birds of prey, are under state protection. It is forbidden to catch them, shoot them, destroy their nests or do any other harm to them.

Q. What are the most common owls that people get?
O.

Long-eared Owls (Asio Otus)
- short-eared owls (Asio Flammeus)
- Owl (Strix)
- scops (Otus Scops)
Less often at home they meet:
- passerine owls (Glaucidium passerinum)
- house owls (Athene noctua)
- Upland Owls (Aegolius funereus)

B. Features of the maintenance of owls in city apartments.
O. An owl is a wild animal completely unsuitable for life in nature after living with humans.

An owl is not a kitten that can always (albeit with difficulty) be placed in good hands. If you have already acquired an owl, but realized too late that you cannot live with it any longer, take it to the zoo or give it to your friends, but in no case release the poultry into nature, it will certainly die there, because accustomed to people and warmth, and does not know how to get food on its own.

If you live in a suburban scrap, then keeping an owl will not cause almost any difficulty. In the fresh air, you can build a spacious aviary with many perches, hemp and other amenities.

In an apartment with owls, some difficulties may arise. Owl droppings, although easy to wash and clean, can be found in completely different places, since the bird cannot be kept in a cage all the time.

The owl must be able to fly, otherwise the muscles will atrophy, which can lead to the death of the bird.

The peculiarity of owls is that their down is not immediately replaced by feathers, and feather formation goes through some intermediate stage, at which something in between down and feather is formed, therefore, for many first months of life, the owl will scatter down and feathers wherever it is. appears, not to mention the droppings.

It is more difficult to keep small owls and owls in captivity, which at night beat against the edges of the cage. Birds can be saved by placing them in cages with wooden rods or in burlap stretched over a lightweight frame.

Some owls bathe with pleasure, some like to walk on a tray of water, and some do not want to bathe at all, prefer to simply clean their feathers.

Q. What kind of cage does an owl need?
O. General recommendations for choosing an owl cage (for small owls: owls, scops owls): height should not be less than 80 cm, length and width - not less than 50 cm.For larger owls (long-eared owl, marsh owl): height not less than 1 m, width not less than 1.5 m, depth not less than 80 cm, the door of the cage should be large enough for the owl to jump out of the cage immediately from the perch. For larger owls, spacious aviaries or free room keeping are recommended.

A grate above the pallet is mandatory so that the owl does not step on droppings that have fallen to the bottom of the cage, since owls have a sore spot on the paws that are difficult to treat. Therefore, if any ulcers or redness occurs on the foot, the owl should immediately be shown to a doctor!

It is difficult to determine the optimal material for the cage - the wooden frame and rods damage feathers less, but the metal frame and rods are more hygienic, because easier to wash. It is not difficult to buy a cage of a suitable size now.

At night, when the bird is restless, the cage is covered or hung with a cloth.
Some owls like (especially owlets) like to lie on the soft. A small owlet (aged 2-3 weeks to 1.5 months) should be placed in a cage or other dwelling with soft rags, on which little owls often sleep. Often, and then with age, owls like to lie on a soft one.

Q. How to feed the owl?
O. Providing food for owls is also a big problem. In nature, owls feed on small rodents. Therefore, it is recommended to feed the owl with mice at home, or, in the absence of such, with one-day-old chickens.

It is impossible to feed the owl with meat all the time, because The owl's stomach is designed in such a way that the bones and hair of rodents must be present in the owl's diet.

In nature, owls feed on mouse-like rodents. On a day, a long-eared or short-eared owl needs 2 mice, and an owl needs 2-3 mice. Once every 2 weeks, the owl needs to arrange a "fasting" day.

Necessary precaution: do not use poisoned mice and rats, because if a rat can withstand a certain dose of a poisonous substance, then a bird of prey does not have such resistance to poisons.

If the bird is so weak that it cannot take food on its own, it is fed by carefully opening its beak and inserting pieces of food. Then drink from a pipette.

Birds of prey swallow their prey together with bones, skin, wool, feathers, and then regurgitate the undigested remains (owl call it pellets). Therefore, when fed pure meat, they tend to weaken quickly.

Owls drink several times a day, but only clean water - so you have to change it at least 2 times a day.

Optimal feeding of the owl - live mice, so that the owl hunts and develops its natural instincts.

Q. How to feed owl chicks (owlet pellets)?
O. Feeding a little owl (2-3 weeks old) is somewhat different from feeding an adult owl. When owlets are small, they themselves do not yet know how to eat. They are fed by their parents. At the same time, they are served food "from above", from which the owlet must be weaned off gradually, initially serving him food also "from above". When the owlets are 2-3 weeks old, the parents feed them with small pieces of mouse, while separating mainly meat for the owls. When the owlet is already 4 weeks old, it can be fed with all parts of the mouse. But if you feed the owlet in large pieces already from 2 weeks of age, then he has problems with digestion - because it is difficult for his body to shed a large pellet and possibly a stretching of the goiter. The owls need to be fed the soft parts of the mice several times a day. When the owlets are growing, they need up to 3 mice per day (for a long-eared owl).

The chicks of many owls regurgitate pellets only at a later age and do this far from regularly. However, the main reason for the absence of pellets probably lies in the fact that in the first weeks of life, owls' parents give them the softest pieces, and swallow the skin, bones, etc. themselves.

When planning to tame an owlet, you can feed it from your hands for a long time (up to 2-3 months).

Q. What should you not feed owls?

O.
- sausage, sausages, wieners, etc.
- fried and fatty foods, including meat
- any semi-finished products, fruits, juices
- any products from the human table

Q. What is a fortune?

O. The undigested part of the food - the compressed lumps - is regularly regurgitated by the owl in the form of pellets. For owls, pellets are much more typical than for daytime predators. The process of throwing out pellets from owls is quite lengthy. By observing an owl, you can usually predict this event a quarter of an hour before it starts. Frequent "yawning" is a sign that heralds the appearance of a pellet. Sometimes it seems that the bird choked on something. Periodically, the feathers on the owl's neck then bulge out, then again assume their normal position and the bird seems to make swallowing movements.

An owl pellet in shape is a cylinder with one rounded and the second, usually pointed end. In most of the mouse-eating species, it appears to be entirely wool on the outside. However, if it is crushed, a mass of bones is found inside, including even whole rodent skulls. Often in one pellet you can find the remains of two or three animals. The pellets vary greatly in size.

Their length, for example, in a short-eared owl, ranges from four to eight and a half centimeters; the diameter is more stable - about two centimeters. The slump of the passerine owl does not exceed two and a half centimeters in length with a diameter of about one centimeter. The eagle owl can be quite impressive - up to ten centimeters in length and about four in diameter.

Q. What to do with the found owlet?

O. If you find an owlet in the forest, but at the same time he looks quite vigorous and healthy, then you should not take him home. If you have already picked up a chick and cannot keep it with you, attach it to good hands. If the owlet looks sick or has some damage, be sure to take the bird to the vet!

Q. How does an owl get along with young children?
O. Despite the fact that the owl is a kind and sociable animal, it cannot be constantly squeezed, as a child would like. The crowds of familiar children in the apartment will only bother the bird, it can become nervous. In addition, an owl can pinch a finger or scratch a child, like a cat or dog.

V.What toys can you buy an owl.
O. Owls are very sociable and love to play. Owl's favorite toys can be: fur toys produced for cats (various mice), ringing small objects (for example, a bell), various rags, woolen socks and other "furry" items.
It's nice to put a stump in the room, and other various perches.

Q. What should I do if there are abrupt changes in the behavior of my pet?
O. Call your veterinarian urgently!

B. General signs of malaise in owls.
O.

Decreased activity, the bird became "sad"
- the bird sleeps a lot
- decreased appetite
- increased excitability
- lack of interest in favorite toys and activities
- the bird is dirty and not cleaned for a long time
- cold feet
- discharge from the nostrils
- changes in the color and consistency of the droppings

And animals. The most common birds of prey in homes are domestic owls... They can be purchased at “bird markets” or brought with them from the forest, assuming that the chick has fallen out of the nest and is lost. It is impossible to look at small fluffy creatures with huge eyes without affection. Sellers, in an effort to sell the product, inspire potential buyers to lie about the nature of these wild birds. In addition, most of them were caught by poachers, and not grown in nurseries, which means they are infected with various infections and parasites.

A little about owls

Owls are nocturnal predators, which means that their main activity peaks occur during the night and early morning. That's why domestic owls they will behave accordingly, all night, shouting (most actively - during the mating season), rattling something and interfering with the owners to sleep. Owls are best for people who lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle.

Feed

You need to feed the owls with meat. Moreover, the digestion of these birds is arranged in such a way that they need to eat the victim whole, with wool, feathers and bones. This means that feed domestic owls chopped beef or chicken is not allowed. As feed, you will have to purchase day old chickens or mice. They are not cheap, and getting them in large quantities is quite problematic.

Owl selection

If nocturnal domestic owls and their diet does not frighten the future owner, then first of all he needs to decide on the type of owl that he will be able to keep at home. There are a great many types of owls, from huge eagle owls to small owls. Even medium-sized birds such as tawny owls are too big for a standard city apartment, as they need a lot of space to fly. Even if all rooms are spacious enough, birds can bump their feathers against schools and walls. The most optimal choice for an apartment would be short-eared owls, long-eared owls, owls or barn owls.

Before buying an owl, you need to properly equip your apartment for it. It is an apartment, since these birds cannot be kept in cages, they hammer feathers on rods, injure waxes (soft places above the beaks) or get naminas on their paws. Content rules:

1. From the room in which the owl will live, you need to remove all things that she can knock over, stain or tear. Domestic owls love to play, so the owners will have to take good care of where their valuables are. The windows must be curtained with thick curtains, the tulle must be removed (since the bird can get tangled and crippled in it). Large mirrors and glass must be removed or covered, otherwise the owl may crash trying to fly through them.

2. On the walls of the room you need to nail "perches" - covered with soft cloth "roosts". You can use iron or wood sticks upholstered with carpet or artificial grass. You also need to put on swimwear, because owls like to wash regularly. For this purpose, use wide, shallow containers of water, such as high-sided cat litter boxes.

3. You need to feed owls recently killed mice or chicks. The easiest way to buy mice is in bulk on the “bird market”. Day old chicks can also be found there. No precutting of mice and chickens is required prior to feeding.

Owl purchase

Owls can only be bought in official nurseries in order to avoid fraud (after all, catching and keeping wild birds is prohibited by law). When receiving documents for a bird, you need to check that the document number matches the number that is stamped on the ring on the bird's paw. After buying an owl, you need to show it to a veterinarian-ornithologist (which is not available in all clinics) so that he does the necessary tests and vaccinations.