In the last two months we have received three young Tawny Owls none of which appeared injured in any way. These birds had been found (on different occasions) by members of the public who thought, understandably, that the birds had fallen from the nest and were in danger. This was most probably not the case.

A part of a young Tawny Owl?s development is ?branching? when they move away from the nest but are still being fed by their parents. They can end up on the ground but, if left, will usually find their way back to safety.

Unfortunately, by the time the birds came to us it was impossible to return them to the wild as no-one knew precisely where they had been found and they had been away from their parents for too long. We are trying to ensure that they have as little human contact as possible so that they can be released as soon as they are sufficiently mature.

It is hard to leave a young bird that could be in distress, but, if it is late Spring/early Summer and the bird in question is a Tawny Owl without any obvious injury, the best thing is to leave it: Tawny Owls are good parents and are likely still to be feeding and protecting the young bird.