Florida's Least Common Owl
[Audubon Center for Birds of Prey](https://www.facebook.com/100078746456121/posts/pfbid02AhY5AGs9b16HxiaWb3bWwpBfUqNHeWzJib3Rhe6nXwDM6sQxukGLwXHny3bZ9bnQl/)
> Rare patient alert! We received a Barn Owl in the Raptor Trauma Clinic last week. Since 2020, we have admitted only 16 Barn Owls. This owl's initial check-up found signs of dehydration, neurologic issues, and anemia. The cause of injury is unknown, but the patient is stable and receiving treatment.
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> Barn Owls are the least-common owl species found in Florida, and they are a welcome sight for farmers and ranchers: When nesting in the trusses of a barn, a pair of adults can consume up to 1,000 rodents in a single nesting season, making them an excellent form of pest control. Like many raptors, this species' reliance on rodents as a food source makes them susceptible to secondary poisoning, or poisoning from eating a rodent that has consumed rodenticide. The use of rodenticide is one of the causes of this species' decline, along with loss of habitat.
They are sadly rare here in Pennsylvania too. I hardly see any of the local rehabs getting them. The landscape is just being changed too much for them in so many places.
> Rare patient alert! We received a Barn Owl in the Raptor Trauma Clinic last week. Since 2020, we have admitted only 16 Barn Owls. This owl's initial check-up found signs of dehydration, neurologic issues, and anemia. The cause of injury is unknown, but the patient is stable and receiving treatment.
>
> Barn Owls are the least-common owl species found in Florida, and they are a welcome sight for farmers and ranchers: When nesting in the trusses of a barn, a pair of adults can consume up to 1,000 rodents in a single nesting season, making them an excellent form of pest control. Like many raptors, this species' reliance on rodents as a food source makes them susceptible to secondary poisoning, or poisoning from eating a rodent that has consumed rodenticide. The use of rodenticide is one of the causes of this species' decline, along with loss of habitat.
They are sadly rare here in Pennsylvania too. I hardly see any of the local rehabs getting them. The landscape is just being changed too much for them in so many places.