Otus (Western Screech Owl)

Otus (Western Screech Owl)

Otus is a western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) that was found in Sitka during October of 2021. He was a juvenile at the time so we know he must have hatched around April of that year. The first year of life tends to be very challenging for young raptors, so in addition to his injuries he was very malnourished. Otus had suffered some sort of collision and had an open fracture on his left metacarpals, which are tiny bones at the tip of the wing. Unfortunately, when a bird’s bone is exposed to the open air it dries out quickly so by the time we got him Otus had already lost some function in that wing. He is able to fly well enough to navigate the small enclosure we made for him however he cannot sustain flight over longer distances. It was determined that he would not be able to survive on his own for very long, so we took steps to welcome him as a new resident at our center. We chose the name Otus for him because it used to be a part of the species scientific name. Instead of Megacops kennicottii they were originally called Otus kennicottii.

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The Alaska Raptor Center’s Adopt-A-Raptor program allows people around the world to help us care for Alaska’s wild birds. By becoming an adoptive “parent,” you help support the daily care, feeding and any required medical treatment for your adopted bird.

Adoptive “parents” receive an official adoption certificate, a photograph and biography of the adopted bird, natural history information, and a one-year membership to the Alaska Raptor Center. As a member you will receive a 10% discount on all of our gift shop items in future purchases.

Thank you for your support and congratulations!