OUR FACILITIES
OUR
FACILITIES.
The Owl Foundation is divided into two main areas: one for forest species and the other for grassland species. Our 250 enclosures are organized into 53 complexes, or 36,000 sq. ft of cage space, and each is designed to reflect our specific goals
Breeding Cages
The Owl Foundation utilizes many different cage structures designed for the specific needs of its owl inhabitants. Forty years of observation and trial and error have resulted in the some of the world's most successful owl breeding and release training cages.
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The Foundation has three complexes dedicated to release training owls. Each one of these buildings is specialized for different species and caters to specific hunting and stamina building techniques.
These ingenious designs enable us to successfully teach owls to hunt live prey and force them to gain the muscle tone and stamina they will require to survive in the wild. Falconry methods are never employed for several reasons. The most important of these reasons is that owls are 'sit and wait' predators. Unlike hawks or falcons that hunt by actively pursuing prey, most owls wait to sight prey from a perch.
Release Training Cages
Each complex is made up of three large, double compounds, linked to each other by flight corridors.
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Into the complex, we put six owls of one species, both sexes, and all corridors open. We seldom know whether the occupants have had previous pair-bonding experience in the wild, a factor that may delay new bond formation as the now captive partner apparently waits for that bond to dissipate before beginning negotiations with a new individual.
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With luck, a pair will form and claim one of the compounds. Another unit may be selected soon after by a second pair. The last two birds, left unpaired, can then be transferred (often through corridors) into another complex of similar setup, with new potential mates.
The third, empty unit, is reserved for the progeny of the two pairs.
WHERE WE WORK.
About Our Facilities
The Owl Foundation is divided into two main areas: one for forest species and the other for grassland species.
Our 250 enclosures are organized into 53 complexes, or 36,000 sq. ft of cage space, and each is designed to reflect our specific goals.
The Owl Foundation utilizes many different cage structures designed for the specific needs of its owl inhabitants. Forty years of observation and trial and error have resulted in the some of the world's most successful owl breeding and release training cages.
​
The Foundation has three complexes dedicated to release training owls. Each one of these buildings is specialized for different species and caters to specific hunting and stamina building techniques. These ingenious designs enable us to successfully teach owls to hunt live prey and force them to gain the muscle tone and stamina they will require to survive in the wild. Falconry methods are never employed for several reasons. The most important of these reasons is that owls are 'sit and wait' predators. Unlike hawks or falcons that hunt by actively pursuing prey, most owls wait to sight prey from a perch.
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We are dedicated to providing the very best for those birds that come to reside or pass through the hands of The Owl Foundation. We also hope to reach those birds that cross the hands of our fellow rehabilitators through this website by sharing our experience and providing what we hope is some useful information that might be implemented at other facilities.
