I HAVE THE INFO

This Morning I Died and Went to Bird Nerd Heaven

According to his handler, this guy fell out of his nest as a youngin. He suffered some brain damage such that one of his wings has a droop and he is blind in one eye. He can still fly though.

I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to touch this animal. I was denied.

This is a horned owl. According to his handler, he survived the West Nile virus. However, it affected his night vision and made his feathers really brittle. He doesn’t molt properly anymore. Sad.

He turned his head all the way around and stared at me. I stared back. He panted in the sun like HIM when we brought him home from the vet. I stared some more. He had eyes like a cat. Then He stopped staring at me, looked at his handler and made a sound that began like a Canadian Goose’s hiss and finished like a cluck.

‘He’s being cantankerous…’ said his handler.

I wasn’t allowed to touch him either.

Sigh.

Oh yeah, these guys were out today for a press conference for my work’s Boundless Philadelphia campaign. We added a ton of information to our site. Looking for something to do that is outdoorsy in Philadelphia? Look no further.