Channel: Cornell Lab Bird Cams

Category: Pets & Animals

Tags: barred owlowllab of ornithologybirdsbirdinglabwatchingbirdwatchingbeautiful creaturecornellbirdcreature movielivewildlifebird camsnaturalnaturewoodsornithologycornell lab of ornithologynestlive cammost beautiful birdswildernessindiana

Description: April has fledged! The elder owlet has taken the leap into the woodlands surrounding the nest box and into the next stage of development. Watch April make the climb to the top of the nest box and receive some encouragement from a parent. After about 15 minutes, the owlet took its first short flight to a nearby tree at 6:28 A.M. before eventually dropping to the ground while attempting to climb upwards. Cam host and Wild Birds Unlimited CEO Jim Carpenter noted that April made a safe landing. According to Jim, "She is fine and the parents are closely watching her. She is on top of our ivy-covered pool fountain. I expect she will climb a tree sometime today." See a picture of April's landing spot here: twitter.com/WBU_Owls/status/1522584133318369280 Stay tuned for another amazing year watching the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owls. Watch live at allaboutbirds.org/barredowls for information, highlights, and a link to the outside view. ******************************* Jim Carpenter, President and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited, has hosted a camera-equipped owl box in his wooded backyard since 1999. Set more than 30 feet high against the trunk of a pignut hickory tree, this Barred Owl box was first occupied in 2006. Since then, the box has hosted several nests, including successful attempts since 2013. The camera system was updated in 2021 with a 1080p Axis P3375-LVE security camera and connected to Jim’s house via 200 feet of ethernet cable. To keep predators like raccoons from investigating the nest, aluminum flashing was wrapped around the tree. An infrared illuminator in the box means you can keep track of the owls’ comings and goings throughout the night (don’t worry—the light is invisible to the owls). Since the birds aren’t banded, we can’t tell whether this is the same pair as in past years. Although male and female Barred Owls look alike in their plumage, females can be up to a third bigger than males. You can also tell the difference between them by watching their behavior; only the female incubates the eggs and chicks, but the male is responsible for the bulk of the feeding, ferrying prey items to the incubating female, and sharing them with her inside and outside of the box. Learn more about Barred Owls in our AllAboutBirds Species Guide at allaboutbirds.org/guide/barred_owl/id. #birdcams #live #owl #barredowl #nest #birds #wildlife #nature #nowplaying #indiana