Owl Moon Raptor Center

05/17/2026

Did you know that Baltimore Ravens Stadium actually has real ravens as residents? It’s not just Edgar, Allan, and Poe, their costumed mascots! Today Owl Moon Raptor Center visited the stadium to release one of the young ravens that has been in our care for a few weeks, recovering from pain and reduced range of motion in the left wing at the wrist. Rescuer Billy Rios was able to corral the bird and bring it in to Owl Moon for evaluation and treatment, where he regularly screeched at staff and volunteers.

With help from stadium staff, this afternoon we released the fledgling raven in the area where the ravens live. We expect that they found the little one when they returned to roost in the evening. We also learned that the stadium ravens are rambunctious potato thieves!

Visit owlmoon.org for more information about how you can help with Owl Moon’s mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and release!

05/10/2026

04/19/2026

Reminder: when you go fishing, please clean up your fishing line. We were alerted to an osprey that was hanging by its feet from a dead tree, tangled in fishing line. The bird had been in that position for at least three days. Rescuer Billy Rios teamed up with a local tree company to get the osprey out of the tree. They cut off the branch, and the bird was able to glide to a lower tree where also became stuck, though this time low enough that it could be reached with a net. The bird was transported to Owl Moon, where the line was removed. Unfortunately, the osprey passed away overnight due to its injuries.

As the weather gets warmer and you spend more time on outdoor activities, you can help birds like this osprey by cleaning up things that could cause entanglement. This includes fishing line (especially if it is tangled in trees or bushes), kite string, plastic can holders, netting, and more. Balloons are also a common hazard, both the string and the balloon itself, which is a choking hazard for wildlife. Please do not release balloons outdoors. If you find a raptor that is entangled, please call us for assistance.

Want to learn more about how you can help raptors? Visit our website at owlmoon.org.

04/11/2026

Baby season is here, and there are two ways you can help us prepare for the influx of baby birds in need:

First, your donations help! All financial contributions go directly toward our mission of raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and release. Or, if you want to provide a specific item, visit this page to see our Amazon wishlist and more: https://owlmoon.org/how-to-help/

Second, let us know about active raptor nest locations in Maryland and nearby states. It is not true that bird parents will reject babies that have been touched by a human. Birds are faithful parents, and will return to take care of them. Also, raptors make surprisingly good foster parents! By sending us information about active raptor nests, we can renest babies who are orphaned or abandoned. Please submit know sites here: https://forms.gle/MEUQdKNV6CA6pYFD9

We appreciate your assistance! Don’t forget, it is illegal to approach a nest without proper permits. Getting too close is dangerous for the birds—and also dangerous for you, as parents will protect the babies.

03/28/2026

This week we released a rehabilitated red-shouldered hawk! She was found on the ground by a hiker after a bad windstorm, and was brought to Owl Moon. Her intake examination revealed that she was egg bound, which is one of a small number of issues we see that are not human-caused. Egg binding is when a female bird has issues laying an egg. This is a serious issue that requires treatment within 1-2 days; without treatment, the bird can die from shock or sepsis. This bird was found in time for us to help, and after a few weeks of treatment was ready for release back to her territory, where she will likely resume her nesting season activities.

Want to know how you can help Owl Moon to rescue, rehabilitate, and release birds? Visit owlmoon.org for details!

03/21/2026

This week we were able to release another rehabilitated bald eagle! This bird was found in Boonsboro in late February with injuries that indicated a possible collision with a vehicle. She had sustained keel and sternal fractures, along with damage to her lungs. In spite of her injuries, the eagle led the rescuers on a chase before they were able to catch her and transport her to Owl Moon. While in care, she was a vocal patient, regularly squawking at staff and volunteers. After just over three weeks of rehabilitation, she was ready to go! She was released at the site of capture with her rescuers cheering her on. Release photo credit: Kaleigh Keesee

Want to help Owl Moon with its mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured or sick birds of prey? Visit owlmoon.org to learn how you can contribute!

03/15/2026

We recently received this barred owl, which had been caught in a glue trap. Glue traps are cruel devices. They may seem like a quick and easy option for dealing with vermin, but it leads to suffering and starvation for the animals that get caught. Also, the damage isn’t limited to the intended target.

This barred owl appears to have flown straight into the trap, feet first, then fell over onto its face. We do not know how long it was stuck before being discovered. Rescuers had to cut the owl’s feathers to separate it from the trap. When it arrived at Owl Moon, it received supportive care and stopgap treatment to ‘deactivate’ as much glue as possible so that it could rest comfortably before a more thorough cleaning was attempted. Unfortunately, the trauma and stress of being caught in such an inhumane trap proved too much for this owl. It died overnight despite our best efforts.

Please, for the sake of our animal friends, think twice before using glue traps.

03/13/2026

There’s an exciting update on the two bald eagles we told you about just over two weeks ago! Both eagles were released today after successfully recovering from the puncture wounds and other injuries sustained during their aerial battle. We released both birds in the same park, but timed the releases so that the first one was well on its way before the second one departed. Thank you to the rescuer, transporters, and dedicated volunteers who got these eagles to Owl Moon and saw them through their recovery and release.

If you’d like to contribute to our mission of raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and release, please visit owlmoon.org to learn more about how you can help!

03/08/2026

Daylight Savings Time is here! To our animal friends, the missing hour of sleep means we’re suddenly out and active an hour earlier. That change overlaps with the end of the nighttime hunting hours of owls and other nocturnal creatures. It is also the start of the day for hawks, eagles, and other diurnal raptors.

Please call Owl Moon if you see a bird of prey on the ground or roadside; the likelihood of bird-vehicle collisions increases during time changes. Even if a bird seems alert or can still fly, unseen injuries such as concussions or eye damage can be debilitating and lead to starvation or death.

03/08/2026

A few days ago we released this red-shouldered hawk, which came to Owl Moon in December after a suspected collision with a car. Her injuries included a puncture wound in the abdominal wall. These pictures walk through the phases of this raptor’s recovery, from the suturing of the wound by our veterinarian to flight conditioning, and finally to the bird’s release.

Visit owlmoon.org to learn how you can get aid Owl Moon in its mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and release. All donations directly support our mission of caring for injured and ill birds of prey.