Some calls to our Raptor Hospital require a falconer to assist with bringing the bird in. We received such a call last week when a couple found a Tawny Owl in a bit of a predicament.
What Jess found when she arrived - Sooty was wedged into the flue with just her tail feathers poking out!
Sooty was found stuck in a flue behind a wood burner after thinking the chimney was a nice place to roost away from the cold. After being gently freed from the flue Sooty was covered in thick soot, so took a trip to us where we swiftly rinsed her off to avoid her ingesting too much more. She had to be cleaned several times to remove the soot from her feathers, but over the course of a few days her true colours started shining through!
It is quite common to find Tawnies in this situation at this time of year as they often use old hollowed out trees to roost in, so a chimney pot can look a very inviting and cosy place to roost! Unfortunately many get stuck and will get over encumbered with soot which can cause them endless issues - from eye irritation through to ingestion which can make them very sick. Even worse, if the chimney is in use smoke inhalation alone can cause their demise but luckily for Sooty the burner had not been used for a few weeks!
The best way to avoid this happening is to install caps on the chimney to stop wildlife getting in!
After a few days in an aviary for observation, to check she hadn’t ingested too much or caused any damage to her feathers, Sooty was ready for release!