Muggs
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Canuckistan
Interesting climb this afternoon
Owl dead in tree
- Thread starter Muggs
- Start date
misfit
Participating member
- Location
- Baton Rouge
How sad! I hate to think how long that owl suffered like that before he died. I don't understand how he was not initially able to free his talon. This is very similar to a case I had two months ago. Someone reported a hawk stuck in a tree for three days. I found the hawk with one foot caught in a long, vertical, tight void in the stem. It was wide enough at the top for his foot to fit, but once he slid down to where it narrowed, he was no longer able to remove it. He was still alive when I rescued him. I took him to the local vet school where they have a raptor rehab program, but from what I heard when I dropped him off, he was probably euthanized. At least he didn't suffer any longer.
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Muggs
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Canuckistan
Oh wow, very similar position, stuck upside down. A tough way to go.
Daniel
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Suburban Philadelphia (Wayne)
omen of death... be careful everyone
ghostice
Been here a while
- Location
- Way west of Lake ONTARIO
This is probably going to seem kinda out there but . . please be careful handling dead animals/ birds. They can carry a bunch of human pathogens - from a search engine (nowadays the ultimate source of an online MD??) - "(Arborist tree workers are at risk of exposure to several human pathogens associated with birds. These pathogens can lead to serious health issues if proper precautions are not taken.
Key Pathogens
Pathogen Disease Caused Transmission Method
Cryptococcus neoformans Cryptococcosis Inhalation of spores from contaminated soil or droppings
Histoplasma capsulatum Histoplasmosis Inhalation of spores from contaminated bird or bat droppings
Chlamydia psittaci Psittacosis Inhalation of aerosolized droppings or respiratory secretions from infected birds
Years ago we had an occupational health case of a non declared asthmatic working around bird droppings/ nests etc. who went home in the afternoon feeling poorly and ended up passing away that night from pulmonary oedema (lungs filled with fluid). It was a complete waste of a nice young man starting out his working life. So it does happen. Disposable gloves and a good dust mask if it's dry?
There's also some viruses circulating in magpies and crows (Corvus) in Europe I think it was, that have been infective in humans, causing pulmonary symptoms. As Sarge said - Let's be careful out there!
Addenda: There's also videos out there with tree guys coming home in working clothes in the family van? Makes me wonder about contact with kids (esp. small ones) and laundry, etc. OK Paranoia session is complete now . . .
Key Pathogens
Pathogen Disease Caused Transmission Method
Cryptococcus neoformans Cryptococcosis Inhalation of spores from contaminated soil or droppings
Histoplasma capsulatum Histoplasmosis Inhalation of spores from contaminated bird or bat droppings
Chlamydia psittaci Psittacosis Inhalation of aerosolized droppings or respiratory secretions from infected birds
Years ago we had an occupational health case of a non declared asthmatic working around bird droppings/ nests etc. who went home in the afternoon feeling poorly and ended up passing away that night from pulmonary oedema (lungs filled with fluid). It was a complete waste of a nice young man starting out his working life. So it does happen. Disposable gloves and a good dust mask if it's dry?
There's also some viruses circulating in magpies and crows (Corvus) in Europe I think it was, that have been infective in humans, causing pulmonary symptoms. As Sarge said - Let's be careful out there!
Addenda: There's also videos out there with tree guys coming home in working clothes in the family van? Makes me wonder about contact with kids (esp. small ones) and laundry, etc. OK Paranoia session is complete now . . .
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Biggest threat with owls right now is rat poison/fert ingestions outside of struck by vehicles. Just had a senior male great Horned on my personal property that had broken its elbow joint essentially, which unfortunately is a death sentence but was cool to handle and see them up close! We have three or four barred owls as well that fly back and forth by the house and are a riot to listen too at night.
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moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
I've dealt with so many dead and dying owls and hawks, some hung up most of them secondary rodenticide poisoning, I've had to put aside omens of death. It's about their suffering not mine. I had a streak for awhile where a raven would fly over and croak every time I was on a particularly difficult climb to a sketchy spot to get a cat. I always feel a wave of relief "It's going to be ok" when the raven croaks at me. We all have our own relationships with nature and what it's saying for sure.
-AJ
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
These are valid concerns on paper. In actuality for arbs very low probability. When in doubt wear gloves and a mask. A lot of this is common sense, don't inhale when a cloud of "bat dung dust" blows in your face out of a tree cavity. A friend (not an arb) got a lung infection from the Cryptoccus from excessive exposure to drought enabled soil dust during yard work. It was successfully treated. Diagnosis is the challenge for that. A lot of docs will blow it off if symptoms don't seem to them severe enough etc.
The dried out great horned owl caused Muggs no risk unless he tried to chew on it. Even then. Caution and common sense wins in everything we do.
-AJ
Muggs
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Canuckistan
It was delicious
ATH
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Findlay, Ohio
There is a story about somebody who got lost while hiking and confessed when he was found that he ate an eagle to survive. The ranger stressed that is not OK, but given the circumstances he wouldn't file charges....but asked "just out of curiosity, I gotta know: was it any good?" "It was OK, but not as good as spotted owl."
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
Ha. Poor spotted owl, the butt-end of every joke ;-)
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
Thx for documenting that owl disaster so well! Good to see your face. Onward!
-AJ
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
The challenge when a bird gets hung up like that is they can severely break their leg as they struggle to escape. Birds have interesting bones very unlike mammals, super efficient structurally, they can’t be heavy like a ground-based mammal. When a compound fracture happens to a leg rehabbers and vets can’t fix it. Euthanasia is the only option.
-AJ
I found a dead, large great horned owl on the ground last winter, under a slight rock overhang in some town Open Space. There were no obvious signs of damage or trauma. I found it quite sad and unfortunate. Bird flu was big in the news at the time, idk if that might have been that COD or probably more likely rodenticide poisoning. Given that it was the dead of winter he was frozen and I eventually removed and disposed of him before warmer weather would cause him to rot and attract passing dogs etc. I harvested his 2 lower legs because they looked amazing with their thick, warm feather covering together with the fearsome claws. And a few beautiful wing feathers.
ATH
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Findlay, Ohio
I used to work at ODNR. A coworker had an owl feather she found hanging on her car mirror. As she got out of her car in the parking lot one day, one of the wildlife officers approached her about it. Ask where she got it, she explained she found it on the ground. He said that is fine... She is not in trouble but it is illegal to possess parts of a raptor. I did not know that. Just passing along as an FYI.
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
Federal law about not possessing raptor parts is to defeat the blackmarket for feathers etc. It's a big problem with people killing eagles so they can sell their parts. Your example is great. The proverbial black helicopters are not going to show up and bust a person who picked up a hawk feather or owl talon off the ground.
-AJ
ghostice
Been here a while
- Location
- Way west of Lake ONTARIO
My only point was - when you don't know cause of death or come across an animal den or piles of droppings, maybe more care is needed these days - the incidence of fungal, bacterial and viral transmissions/ infections seems to on the rise over my 30 yr career in occ health anyway. I do know that Hanta now has procedures for field operators for example, in big oil, where we didn't really worry about it 20 yrs ago.
Anyway, echoing Moss's comments, take care. If anyone is interested in this stuff, there's a neat article in the Tyee this weekend regarding the shipboard Hanta outbreak and of course there are books like Spillover by David Quammen that make a fascinating read on the subject (don't even want to get into Ebola in the Congo discussion). Just don't want to see anyone get sick needlessly. Animals are a great vector. Cheers all
Muggs
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Canuckistan
Appreciate it Ed. Number 1 comment on that video is my lack of gloves. I was so caught up in the situation that I wasn't even thinking about it.
ghostice
Been here a while
- Location
- Way west of Lake ONTARIO
We Albertans worry for you guys in Ontario . . . . .
moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
Which reminds me, raccoon dung contains "raccoon roundworm eggs". This is the most significant disease hazard that I encounter on a regular basis around trees. Raccoons create "raccoon latrines" in tree hollows, on limbs and at the base of trees, I see them frequently.
https://www.cdc.gov/baylisascaris/about/index.html
-AJ
