Screech Owl Dad to 50 Babies!
September 26, 2015 15 Comments
Gonzo the Screech Owl
Gonzo Profile
Fuzzy Owlet in Nesting Gourd in Our Backyard
Baby Screech Owl (our mascot)
Fluffy Owlets in Yard
Baby Screech Owl Snuggled Next to Teddy Bear
Gonzo the Eastern Screech Owl has lived at the Florida Wildlife Hospital for the past 12 years. Since he could not be released back into the wild, he has become a local ambassador for wildlife. He is especially busy during nesting season, because he acts as a foster parent and role model for rescued baby owls. This past year Gonzo set a record by acting as a surrogate Dad to over 50 babies! Gonzo feeds the fluffy owlets, and they observe and learn from him the behaviors that will help them survive in the wild. All of Gonzo’s adopted babies this year were successfully released back into nature. More info about the Florida Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary is at: http://www.floridawildlifehospital.org/
We’ve hosted several screech owl families in our Florida backyard (two pictures above are reposted favorites). Owls are the absolute cutest!
About Pam
naturetime 
I love happy stories 🙂
Me too! 🙂
beautiful story
Gonzo is so sweet. In Florida, screech owls start sitting on eggs by March. My favorite memory is when I heard Mama screech owl singing to herself while she sat on eggs in her nest.
Have a family of wild tawny owls behind my house . Dont tire of listening to their hissing calls every night
How fantastic! I never get tired of hearing birds – can’t imagine a day without them.
Great photos of the owls! 🙂
Thanks! We love our owl babies!
Who wouldn’t love those baby owls!
Gonzo is a rock star! And sooo cute, Pam. I do love happy nature stories like this one…keep ’em coming!
Gonzo is the best! 🙂
The owls are so cute. Great Pictures!
Thanks! They are so cute!
Oops this comment is a bit late… but having owls in your backyard is really cool!! 🙂 You have great pictures, especially the adorable teddy bear one!
I am always happy to receive comments! We are so thrilled to have owls in our backyard. After the new year the owls will start checking out nest boxes again, and move in and lay eggs by March. I am so happy you like the teddy bear – it was such a sweet scene.