The tawny owl is a very rare visitor in central Finland. The bird has been seen and photographed in droves in Muurame and also in Jyväskylä.
The tawny owl that has been in Muurame since early December is in poor condition.
A starving bird was caught with a shotgun on Sunday afternoon in Jyväskylä’s Keljonlahti. The owl was taken to a bird sanctuary in Toivakka.
According to Virtanen, the bird is probably a young female and is about 600 grams underweight
A veterinarian examined the barn owl on Monday in Jyväskylä and concluded that the bird is, above all, starving. Instructions for caring for the owl have been received from Korkeasaari’s veterinarian.
– The bird’s condition is still quite weak. At the vet, he received nutrition through a stomach tube and in the near future he will be rehydrated with a nutritional supplement. Let’s hope that the condition will start to improve. This evening and the coming night will probably show whether the bird will start to fly and what its fate will be, says Virtanen.
The owl is in a quiet place in Toivaka, and in the treatment room it can also be observed via camera.
Virtanen cannot accurately assess what has led to the bird’s starvation.
– At first it did just fine and found food, but it has apparently hit a power line and that could have caused problems. I can’t say otherwise what caused the sudden loss of food.
The tawny owl’s exceptional arrival to the south has set bird watchers and the curious on the move in droves, even hundreds.
The question has also been thrown into the air, has the commotion around the bird contributed to the fact that it hasn’t had peace of mind?
Virtanen thinks that it is not the only reason for the bird’s condition.
People have been instructed all along not to disturb or approach the fell owl. The majority have respected these instructions, but not all, says Virtanen.
The mountain owl is a very rare guest in central Finland. The last time it was observed in the territory of the Ornithological Association of Central Finland was 22 years ago.
– This particular individual is currently perhaps the most photographed bird in Finland. The rare species is interesting, says Virtanen.
If the owl recovers, according to Virtanen, it can be moved to be released elsewhere than Central Finland.
– We will see how the situation progresses one day at a time. Let’s do everything we can.