Whooooo's that in my chimney?

Every winter and early spring, CRC receives a number of calls from concerned citizens about owls in chimneys. In most cases, these turn out to be barred owls. However, on occasion, other owls end up in the same precarious situation.

Owls in chimneys truly are stuck – once they have fallen more than just a few feet down a chimney, they cannot climb or fly back out. Such was the case for one eastern screech owl, admitted to CRC in November of 2007 from Catawba county, NC. The homeowner called CRC about a small owl in his wood stove. Transport volunteer Charlie Smyre rescued the owl and delivered it to our rehabilitation facility. This particular owl was relatively lucky – the woodstove was not in use. The owl was slightly sooty and suffered from a scratched cornea, caused by soot under one eyelid. The injury healed within two weeks and the owl was moved to an outside flight cage for evaluation and exercise. Charlie was able to return the bird to its territory after about five weeks in rehabilitation.

What can you do?

Have a chimney cap installed to exclude unwanted critters, including owls. If you suspect any type of animal to be in your chimney, don’t light a fire. Depending on the type of animal, some are able to leave on their own (bats, chimney swifts) but many cannot. You may need to call a licensed reputable animal removal service. You may also call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to see if they can help. If the animal is actually in the fireplace, not the chimney, close the damper (opening to the flue) if you can do so safely. Then close the fireplace doors or block the opening, so the animal is contained in the fireplace. This will prevent the animal from getting back up in the chimney or into your house, where it maybe much more difficult to catch.

How well do you know your owls?

The title to this story is a little misleading - do you know why?

The answer - some owls (like barred owls) hoot, but screech owls do not.

Transport volunteers - Carolina Raptor Center relies heavily on volunteers to help with the capture of injured and orphaned raptors. No prior experience is necessary and training classes are available. Contact us if you are up for an adventure!

Become a member - If you are unable to get involved in the hands-on "dirty work", consider visiting CRC and joining as a member. Your support will help with the daily cost of rehabilitation. Remember, injured raptors never bring a co-payment or credit card to pay their bills.

Adopt-an-Orphan - Would you like to witness the release of a rehabilitated raptor? This is a unique opportunity to do just that and help support CRC's mission at the same time.