The juvenile owls are treated as wild birds throughout their first year. The only direct human contact is for sexing the birds, routine physical health checks and transfers of birds prior to the breeding season.

The large design and layout of the flyways and the abundance of artificial burrows allow the birds to build up their physical strength in the weeks and months leading up to their release to the wild.

Our program volunteers can observe the birds at a distance and evaluate condition without interference.

Burrowing owls are instinctive and efficient hunters. While some training with live prey is done before their release, the owls are very capable of finding their prey upon their return to the wild