A baby Hoot Owl (Great Horned Owl) was found at a Roanoke County Home

Cheryl E Preston

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Baby Hoot Owl (Great-horned Owl) was found in Roanoke CountyPhoto byWVVA video screenshot

A rare find at a Roanoke County home

I've been hearing owls randomly in Roanoke City over the past decade but never see them and I don't want to. I don't like it when they turn their heads all the way around because although it is natural for this predatory nocturnal creature it seems so unnatural to me. My motto is to let them remain in the trees where I don't have to witness their turning heads but recently a baby Great Horned Owl was spotted on a porch in Roanoke County according to WDBJ 7.

Thanks to my two youngest grandchildren I knew this raptor was what I was taught as a child is a Hoot Owl. When the grandkids were visiting last summer they identified two different Owls over a period of time based on the sounds they made. They confirmed by showing me Youtube videos that what I had been calling a Hoot Owl all of my life was really a Great Horned Owl and the second one was easily identified as a Screech Owl. These are two of 8 specific species of Owls that are common in this area and the other 6 are the Barred Owl Barn Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Snowy Owl, Short Eared, and Long Eared Owls.

WVVA News says the owl chick or owlette looks like a strange baby chicken or a Furby. They spoke with a representative from the wildlife center who said it's important for birds of prey to not become too dependent on humans and be returned to the wild as quickly as possible.

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Baby owls are strong and may be dangerous

According to WDBJ The Wildlife Center of Southwest Virginia shared some valuable information about its latest find to keep in mind should you encounter one of these critters.

The Wildlife Center says finding baby raptors on the ground can be normal, but it could be a sign of concern. They advise for people to call them if they find a baby raptor so experts can troubleshoot the situation. The Wildlife Center says despite being a baby, the owlet is still strong and powerful.

It was determined that the owl had not eaten in 2 days and was separated from its parents. Please consider assisting the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke as they care for injured wildlife by donating at swvawildlifecenter.org/make-a-donation/. This organization has recently cared for an injured baby bobcat and named their new squirrel ambassador Baldwin with the help of the community. In January they reported the first Bald Eagle in the area that was infected with the avian flu

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# Hoot Owl# Great Horned Owl# Southwest Virginia Wildlife Ce

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I write, about breaking news, and current events. I wrote a newspaper column from 1997 to 2007 and have written for various online platforms since 2012 including Yahoo Contributor Network, Hubpages, and Vocal Media.

Roanoke, VA
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