She looks like a bit of a nightmare, right?This baby barn owl was admitted last night after being fo
She looks like a bit of a nightmare, right?This baby barn owl was admitted last night after being found under a tree in Monroe, NC. An active nest was nearby but she was covered in a gummy substance. It was like she was dipped in tar - or bathed in it - or just lived in it. It was pretty terrible. Head to toe/beak to talon coverage. We have no idea what had soiled her body - it was odorless. Not only could she not get around very well but she must have been very cold. Because it was a sticky/gummy substance and not oily, we had little hope that the bath would help. It is typically very difficult to remove these substances from feathers. And, to add another layer of complication, all of her feathers are growing (in blood - there is literally a blood supply to each feather) so they are very delicate. We were dealing with a very sticky substance on extremely sensitive feathers. After intubating her, we were able to give her a extensive bath in a Dawn solution. And guess what? She cleaned up easily! She is expected to make a full recovery - her feathers seem to be in great condition. This is a very lucky bird. Follow her progress here. -- source link