We would like to give a huge thank you and shout out to our friends at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) in Quechee for their continued generosity and dedication as stewards of our region’s wild birds. Earlier this year our beloved feathered ambassador, Oberon the Barred Owl —known and admired by many NorthWoods visitors, campers, and students over the years— began to display some uncharacteristic behaviors such as refusing meals and remaining on the floor of his mew (a place no owl wants to be) — a definite indication that he was feeling under the weather. Our staff quickly transported him down to VINS, the same place where he was initially rescued and rehabilitated from a head trauma as a young bird nearly 15 years ago, to be evaluated and given medical support.

Thankfully, with the rehabilitation staff’s expert care and attention, Oberon is feeling much better, his health has stabilized, his appetite has rebounded and he will be returning to the the NorthWoods campus soon. In the meantime, we will be making some modifications to his mew to better accomodate his needs as he continues to age and his mobility decreases. Barred Owls have a life expectancy of 10 years in the wild and up to 23 years in captivity, so while Oberon may be rightfully starting to feel his years, we are optimistic that with some help from us, he will continue to inspire our visitors about the wonders of our wild neighbors.

A special thank you to Grae O’Toole and Nathan Theole from VINS for their continued care and attention for our friend Oberon! If you would like to support the rehabilitation department at VINS, consider ‘adopting’ an ambassador through their VINS Rise program — you can learn more by clicking here.

As a part of their diagnostic evaluation, the rehabilitation staff at VINS took some x-rays of Oberon that we thought we’d share with you — it isn’t every day you get to see the skeleton and musculature of an owl! This might help you visualize just how much of Oberon’s appearance is filled out with his insulating feathers