Chris Cornelius holds a saw-whet owl before he releases it in Anchorage on May 22, 2022. Bird Treatment and Learning Center cared for the orphaned bird for two months.
“He probably was what we call a ‘brancher,’” Higgs said. “They’re out of the nest and they’re just learning how to fly.” After being released, a saw-whet owl landed on the forest floor of Ruth Arcand Park on May 22, 2022. It then flew to a nearby tree. “Because he’s a youngster, we had to make sure he could recognize live food, and kill it, and consume it,” Higgs said. “So he did mouse kindergarten, and he passed the test.”
Chris Cornelius releases a saw-whet owl at Ruth Arcand Park in Anchorage on May 22, 2022. Bird Treatment and Learning Center cared for the orphaned bird for two months. Once free, the bird flew only about 50 feet before landing on the forest floor right next to the trail. A small audience followed, then a Bird TLC volunteer shooed it a little further away from the pedestrian area, up to a nearby leaning tree. There the owl remained as most spectators retreated to their cars.