Last month, an eastern screech owl in Florida saw an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
As a homeowner opened her back door early one morning, the owl flew inside, found a nice perch on a curtain rod and fell asleep.
Wild Florida Rescue
Many different bird species live in the area, but the homeowner had never had one of them make their way inside before.
She decided to give the owl some time to leave on his own. After opening the back door and as many windows as possible, she left the house, hoping the bird would see himself out.
Several hours later, the screech owl was still snoozing. The homeowner called Wild Florida Rescue (WFR) to help nudge the bird outside. Fast asleep when the rescuer arrived, the owl startled awake when the net came out.
Wild Florida Rescue
“When our rescuer attempted to use a net, the owl flew into another room,” Heather Pepe-Dillon, chief operations officer and cofounder of WFR, told The Dodo, “and then into a second room.”
The screech owl went on a little self-guided tour of the home before landing on a mirror in a bedroom, where the rescuer managed to safely capture him in the net.
Wild Florida Rescue
“During handling, it remained alert and delivered some unmistakable side-eye,” Pepe-Dillon said. “Clearly unimpressed, as if to say, ‘Excuse me, I was just getting comfortable here.’”
Luckily, the sassy owl suffered no injuries during his tour. The rescuer released the bird that same day.
Wild Florida Rescue
Since nesting season is approaching, the homeowner promised to keep an eye out for any other opportunistic owls looking for a cozy place to nest in the future.
If you would like to support Wild Florida Rescue’s efforts, you can donate via their website.
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