On Wednesday evening, a well-known Texas owlet that had been left without a nest was returned to its natural habitat at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. A modest gathering of people watched as the young owl spread its wings and departed.
Handlers opened the cage, and the owl hesitated at first. Its long wings then spread wide, and it swooped over the crowd before turning toward the nesting site where it hatched. Lee Clippard, executive director of the Wildflower Center, described the moment as a full-circle triumph.
“It’s like a full circle moment to see the owlet – the owl now, no longer an owlet — fly out of that cage and back into the wild again,” he said.
Athena’s Nesting Year
Athena, the great horned owl that lives at the Wildflower Center, has two owlets she’s raising this year. Researchers noticed that her mate stopped delivering food to the nest. Athena herself was spending more time away from the nest, likely hunting.
Nine days after the eggs broke, one of the owlets passed away. Several days after that, the center reported the other owlet had died too, and said Athena had left the nest.
Camera Monitoring
Experts at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology were watching the Wildflower Center through a camera feed when they detected faint signs of movement from the second owlet. That observation led to the nonprofit Austin Wildlife Rescue rescuing the young bird.
Rescue and Recovery
The rescued owlet was raised by a surrogate owl, which readied it for life in the wild. Jules Maron, executive director of the rescue, expressed great joy at having reached this point.
“It is profoundly gratifying to be able to take in an animal that needs everything from you, and then being able to release it as an animal that needs nothing from you,” she said. “And I think it is just an amazing end.”
The Injured Owl
It has been suggested that Athena’s mate may have been hurt and unable to hunt. An injured owl was found in a neighborhood near the Wildflower Center just days after Athena abandoned her nest. It later died, but it’, without confirmation, shares a bond with an owl that some consider her partner.
“It is profoundly gratifying to be able to take in an animal that needs everything from you, and then being able to release it as an animal that needs nothing from you.”
Athena’s History
The owl named Athena has been nesting at the Wildflower Center since 2012, and she usually lays at least two eggs annually. Her success with raising young is well established, with a strong history of rearing owlets.
The Future of Athena’s Nest
The people who work at the Wildflower Center still hold hope that Athena will come back in the spring to build a nest again.
Key Facts
- Nesting site: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Camera monitoring: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Rescue organization: Austin Wildlife Rescue
- Release date: Wednesday evening
- Athena’s nest location: Sotol planter above the entrance
- Athena’s nesting since: 2012
- Typical clutch: At least two eggs per year
Every person who took part celebrated the outcome. The owlet endured being left behind, rescue, and months of attention until it became a bird able to fly on its own. For an instant, the chances were overcome, and the bird that nearly did not survive got to go on living.
Source material: “Months after rescue, a now-famous Texas owlet was released at Wildflower Center,” Houston Public Media.
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