This past June, a team of UC Davis Avian Science graduate students working on a barn owl study found a severely under-developed baby barn owl in one of their barn boxes. After a couple weeks of close observation, the students (Ryan Bourbour, Emily Phillips, and Breanna Martinico) knew it was time to bring the owl to the CA Raptor Center for evaluation and possible rehabilitation. Its siblings had fledged and left the nest two weeks prior while this owl still had not grown any body or covert feathers, and it was no longer clear if the owl was still being fed by its parents.

Body and covert feathers are important to owls for flight and thermoregulation, and this owl would not have survived in the wild without them.

These graduate students helped save this owl's life by bringing it to the CA Raptor Center when they did. After a couple weeks of rehabilitative care and regular feeding courtesy of our dedicated team of volunteers, the emaciated baby owl from June was a beautiful full-grown fledgling (with body and covert feathers) in July.

In the evening on July 19, the owl's rescuers Ryan, Emily, and Breanna had the honor of releasing "Peppy" (the owl's nickname) back into the wild, now with a much better chance at survival!