Owl Moon Raptor Center

10/12/2026

What is it like to be an intern at Owl Moon? In this post we feature experiences from Corinna W., who was one of our Summer 2026 interns! Swipe to see her comments and favorite photos.

Interested in becoming an Owl Moon intern? Visit owlmoon.org to apply!

From Corinna W.:

This past summer I was granted the amazing opportunity to work as a Summer Intern at Owl Moon Raptor Center and learn from the amazing people who dedicate their lives to saving orphaned and injured birds of prey. I spent a total of three months with them and learned more than I could have ever imagined from such a short period of time. Every day brought new birds, new challenges, and new chances to expand my knowledge of the world of wildlife rehabilitation in an environment that encouraged learning and curiosity. From the very first day, I was invited to get hands-on experience, everything from cleaning cages and diet preparation to handling raptors and going on rescues were just some of the tasks that were completed each and every day by everyone involved in OMRC. Suzanne, AK, and all of the volunteers at Owl Moon are among the most wonderful people I have ever met. Each and every person shared a passion for wildlife that is second to none and puts into perspective just how special of a place OMRC is. This internship was by no means easy, but it was also one of the most fascinating and rewarding things I have ever had the pleasure of doing. I can say with certainty that my experience at Owl Moon Raptor Center has further pushed me down a path I hope to stay on for the rest of my life.

10/10/2026

Things can change quickly at Owl Moon. New patients arrive regularly, current patients are upgraded to new accommodations as they recover, and rehabilitated patients are released back into the wild. Patients one step away from release are usually housed in the mews. “Mew” is a traditional falconry term that simply means an enclosure for a hawk or falcon. A common question from our dedicated volunteers is, “Who’s in that mew?”

In our new regular feature, we’ll be sharing the answer to that question with all of you. So, who’s in that mew right now? Today we are featuring our merlin (MERL) Perry, Owl Moon’s newest resident education ambassador. Perry arrived in December 2025 as a juvenile with a severe bilateral eye infection. While her left eye cleared up well, her right eye was permanently damaged, leaving her blind on one side and unreleasable. As a juvenile, Perry was an excellent ambassador candidate, and through dedicated work by executive director Suzanne Shoemaker, she soon became accepting of human interaction. Perry has already participated in several programs and, with time, will be ready for a larger audience.

Perry is featured on this year’s raptor festival gear, with art by volunteer Veda Puranik. You can pre-order your Perry T-shirts, long sleeves, and hoodies here (https://special-tees.com/owl-moon-raptor-festival-merch/), or grab them at the festival. Shipping is available if you can’t make it in person this year!

Photo Credits: Kaleigh K. and Marlon M.

10/05/2026

Great news: We are offering discounted advance orders for the 2026 Owl Moon Raptor Festival shirts! Visit the link to order: Buy your 2026 Owl Moon Raptor Festival shirts here: https://special-tees.com/owl-moon-raptor-festival-merch/

You can either pick up your order at the festival on 11/14 (no shipping costs) or have the shirt shipped directly to you (shipping fees apply). Thank you to Special Tees of Frederick, MD for enabling our web store this year!

Note: The checkout process may indicate that there is a store pickup in Frederick. The correct pickup site is the Owl Moon Raptor Festival location at Black Hill Regional Park on 11/14.

09/21/2026

Sometimes raptor releases don’t go quite as planned! As we went to release it, this osprey got a talon snagged on the towel that lined the bottom of the box. After a quick fix (and a little encouragement) the osprey was on his way. At this time of year, ospreys are making their annual migration journeys to the south. We hope this one is now well on his way to his wintering spot!

Please visit owlmoon.org to learn how you can help with our mission of raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and release!

09/20/2026

Want to learn more about raptors, and Owl Moon’s mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and ill birds of prey? Join us on 11/14 for our 2026 Owl Moon Raptor Festival at Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, MD!

09/06/2026

Happy International Vulture Awareness Day! Vultures play a vital role in our environment, serving as nature’s cleanup crew. This post features two of our current turkey vultures in rehabilitation. One is a juvenile with a wing injury, and the other is an adult recovering from a spinal injury.

As we celebrate these magnificent creatures, here are some things to know about vultures.

Turkey vultures have an incredible sense of smell. They can sniff out carrion that is far away or hidden under things like leaves or even shallow soil. They are also attracted to flowers or mushrooms with a carrion-like scent.

Black vultures typically use sight to find carrion. They are smaller, more compact birds than their turkey vulture cousins, and can fly higher. They sometimes follow turkey vultures to their prey.

Black vultures are doing well in the eastern US. In fact, their range is starting to expand northward. Pennsylvania used to be the northern reach of their range, but recently they have moved further north—spotted as far up as New York.

Vultures play a specialized role in our environment, and do not need humans to help feed them. They are very smart birds, and feeding them causes them to approach other people, cars, or houses, or get into dangerous situations. When they depend on humans for food, they do not perform their critical role cleaning up carcasses and removing diseases from our environment.

Young turkey vultures have gray heads, which start to turn pink as they get older.

Want to learn how to help Owl Moon with its mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured or ill vultures and other birds of prey? Visit owlmoon.org for details!

08/22/2026

Help keep our waterways clean! Substances that go into home drains, sidewalk drainage systems, and small creeks and streams can all make their way to larger bodies of water. When people dump paint, cooking oil, used cleaning products, water contaminated with chemicals, medications, contents of RV waste tanks, or other oils and petroleum products, these can all affect the local environment.

Yesterday we received multiple calls about this osprey, which was found in Olney. Its feathers were coated with what appears to be a petroleum-based oil product. We don’t know the source of the contamination. It is difficult to treat wildlife that gets coated in oils or other contaminants. Rehabbers must identify the best way to safely remove the substance without damaging skin, fur or feathers, manage the animal’s stress during the process, and make sure the animal stays warm and healthy afterwards.

We are transferring the osprey to Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc. for a specialized bath and further rehabilitation.

Visit owlmoon.org to learn how you can help with Owl Moon’s mission of raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and release.

08/21/2026

08/15/2026

Earlier this week we had the joy of releasing five juvenile red-shouldered hawks that were successfully rehabilitated. On Wednesday our volunteers took them to points close to the place where they were found, with three birds released at Lake Artemesia in College Park and two released at Monocacy Battlefield in Frederick County. We will share more of these birds’ individual stories over the coming weeks, but for now, here are a few release pictures and videos!

If you’d like to learn how you can support Owl Moon’s mission of raptor rescue, rehabilitation, and release, visit owlmoon.org!

06/27/2026

Protected species (in more ways than one!): Cpt Asmussen gave this gorgeous Red-Shouldered Hawk a hand when she was found injured near NSWC Carderock. Parting was such sweet sorrow as Asmussen handed her to the Owl Moon Raptor Center for care.

(Shoutout to Ofc Boyd-Harris and Sgt Varanelli for the assist!)