SORCO releases 11 great horned baby owls, helping rare Swainson hawk recover

Photo: SORCO

The SORCO raptor rehabilitation centre in Oliver has been busy taking in birds from across the Okanagan Valley as of late, with plenty of birds needing help.

SORCO manager Dale Belvedere said they have just released 11 great horned baby owls and a caring for a rare Swainson hawk. It's also been a busy season with the eagles.

"They were all young. It seems there were two broods this year because we were getting them at all different ages, like really young and then ready to fly," she added.

The rescue is asking residents to keep an eye out for any hurt or orphaned raptors — meaning birds of prey — not in their nests. The public is urged not to touch them.

"They're on the ground. People see them, they pick them up, and then they call us. And at that point, we don't have a choice. We have to take them. I mean, I could have brought in probably in the last two weeks, I could have brought in another eight. And it was just like telling the people just leave us alone. It probably tried to fly out of the nest last night and didn't quite make it it will make it and you know, if by the end of the day, it's still on the ground, call us back."

The Swainson hawk was brought in after being found in Kelowna at the bottom of the tree on a golf course, and Belvedere said it just wasn't flying.

"It's doing fine again it just can't fly. So hopefully in the next couple of days, it will start to fly and then we'll bring it back down there because the nest is down there and the parents are down there."

The team is also looking after a Great Grey owl, that was found recently in the Joe Rich area.

"It had been hit by a car. Very serious head injury, but it survived. So we're hoping to release that in about two weeks as well."

SORCO will place the birds in large fight pens before release, giving them the opportunity to strengthen up.

"When they're outside in the big flight pens, we always pair them up. So this year, there were three in each flight pen together. And one or two out of the three could fly and the other one couldn't. So as soon as they see them doing it, they kind of catch on. And then we place the food like up on perches or whatever. And it's like, well, if you're hungry, this is what you have to go and do," Belvedere said.

"It's all-natural. People think we teach them to fly and we teach them to hunt. But it's just natural, it's nature."

For more information on SORCO and how to support their efforts, click here.

Photo: SORCO