Kim Strange, former coordinator for The Wildlife Center's Wildlife Hotline, thought she had heard it all until she received a call on November 12th, 2003 about baby owls in Iraq.  The call was immediately turned over to Executive Director, Anne Miller.  It turned out that Army Captain Dr. David Coffin, formerly from Ozark, Alabama, found out who to call through a friend of his mother, an avid animal lover.  Dr. Coffin was concerned that one of the owls was much smaller and weaker looking than the others and that he might to give it some type of special care or extra food to help it survive.  Miller realized through conversations and email that the smaller owl is simply younger and not yet as developed as the others.  Owls lay their eggs days apart, but begin incubating the first one as soon as it is laid.  Therefore, the eggs will hatch at different times causing some of the babies to be younger.  When Miller saw the photo (right), she knew immediately that the owls were Barn Owls, just like the ones we have here in the United States. Their heart shaped, white faces are impossible to mistake.  In fact, several baby Barn Owls are being raised at The Wildlife Center right now (see left photo taken on December 1st, 2003).  Miller reported back to Dr. Coffin that the owls appear healthy and it would not be a good idea to feed them since their parents are alive and well and doing their job.  Below is the email exchange between Miller and Dr. Coffin:

November 24^th

David--I am so glad you sent the picture.  The birds are Barn Owls.  We are raising several broods of Barn Owls here at The Wildlife Center right now, and they look exactly the same.  Barn Owls have a world-wide distribution, and I must admit I suspected that the birds you have been watching would turn out to be Barn Owls, because of their tendency to nest in places such as the bunker--or any unused structure, for that matter.  The female Barn Owl lays her eggs two days apart, and often may lay as many as six or seven (or more) eggs.  Since she starts incubating the first egg as soon as it is laid, the first egg may hatch as much as two weeks before the last one.  One or two weeks is a long time in the development of young Barn Owls, and that explains why the youngest birds looked so puny compared to the older ones.  They aren't sick, they just haven't developed as much.  Of course, if there is a serious food shortage, the youngest will probably not get enough to eat, and won't make it.  But typically, we would not try to interfere unless something had happened to one or both of the parents.  Barn Owls are almost exclusively rodent eaters, and I suspect that there is a plentiful supply of mice and rats around for them to feed their young.  It is amazing that the noise of explosions doesn't bother them, since their hearing is so keen that they can actually capture prey by sound alone.  However, I remember one Barn Owl nest that was in the ceiling of a steel fabricating plant where the noise level was incredible, and the birds had selected that building over several quieter ones nearby.  I suspect that the disturbance may actually benefit them by discouraging predators.  It looks as if the oldest of the young Barn Owls in the picture is almost old enough to begin flying, while the youngest, with the fluffy white down on its chest needs a couple of more weeks.  If they've made it to this age, the parents must be doing a good job.  

Please keep us informed about the progress of the Barn Owl family.   Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Everyone here will be tremendously interested to hear about the Iraqi Barn Owls.   Anne Miller, Executive Director, The Wildlife Center, Oak Mountain State Park, Birmingham, Alabama

November 29^th

Ms. Miller,

    Hope you had a good holiday.  The owls are doing fine here.  Was on the bunker yesterday and the parents or parent were bringing food every

15 minutes for the babies.  Quite a racket when the parent gets in the shaft.  Looked down and saw that they have matured and one actually scurried

away and hid.  Did not look long as I did not want to bother there feeding. The babies will have to learn to fly by going straight up a ventilation shaft. 

Hope they can do it.  Will keep you updated.

Thanks, David