Meet our new male great-horned owl! He arrived around 11:30 AM August 5, from Michigan. He is one year old, having jumped early from his nest last year, and fracturing his right wing in the process. He was on the ground for about a week behind a barn before he was finally picked up and brought to rehab. A lot of people are curious about our intake process, which is what this brief video will show you. Because many rehab facilities do not always have time and/or resources for extensive husbandry, our basic intake procedure is to thoroughly inspect the bird, and prepare the bird for captive training. In his case his beak had some damage and needed to be coped (trimmed and shaped) as did his talons. Since he is coming in to be part of our educational collection, bracelets have to be fitted around the tarsi and attached so that jesses (straps) can be inserted to give us control of his powerful feet. Because of his heavy weight (60 oz) and his big feet, we will be testing the bird’s DNA to determine his sex for certain. During our inspection we discovered some issues with his right eye that must be evaluated for long-term consequences, and we will also be getting him radiographed so that we have a complete understanding of his original injuries, and how those might affect his training procedures and housing requirements. He goes into quarantine and behavioral observations at our Curator’s home for about ten days, before he is introduced to his new quarters and roommate (our barred owl). Take some moments to see our new video posted on our Facebook page to see more of this Michigan beauty. Thanks to Savannah Grout for pictures and video.