Kids & Family

One-Eyed Owl Back in Natural Habitat a Week Before Christmas

Although the Great Horned Owl now only has one sighted eye, Peninsula Humane Society staff members are confident in her ability to hunt in the wild.

[Editor's Note: The following information was received by Patch from the Peninsula Humane Society, and is reprinted here.]

An adult Great Horned Owl in Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s (PHS/SPCA) care since September 29, was released Monday, with just one sighted eye, but is fully expected to live a normal life in its natural habitat.

The owl was found grounded in a resident’s backyard in the Glen Park area of San Francisco, then transferred to PHS/SPCA by San Francisco Animal Care & Control. PHS/SPCA provides care for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife from San Francisco through Northern Santa Clara County.

Find out what's happening in San Carloswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Upon intake, PHS/SPCA’s Wildlife Rescue staff noted that the owl had blood pooling in both eyes, likely caused by head trauma.  However, the owl had no injuries to its beak, which would seem likely in any kind of head-on collision that would damage both eyes. There were no fractures or dislocation and the overall body condition was good, but slightly thin. PHS/SPCA made arrangements for the owl to be seen by a veterinary vision specialist, Dr. Carol Szymanski. Her diagnosis was that both eyes had intraocular hemorrhaging (hyphema) and the right eye also had a superficial corneal ulcer. Prognosis was that the left eye would be permanently blind and the right eye may heal back to normal.

For treatment, PHS/SPCA staff administered ocular and oral antibacterial and anti-inflammatory pain medication for approximately one month. More so than the medication, however, the owl needed a considerable amount of time to reabsorb the blood in its eye. Over time, the owl regained normal sight in its right eye, but the left eye was determined to be permanently blind. PHS/SPCA chose not to surgically remove the blind eye; Great Horned Owls have large eyes proportional to their body and removing an eye would offset the owl’s balance in flight.

Find out what's happening in San Carloswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Prior to yesterday’s release in Glen Park, staff were confident in the owl’s ability to hunt in the wild.

Due in part to asymmetrical ear positions on either side of the head, Great Horned Owls are able to better perceive the location of their prey. So even with one eye, the owl can perceive depth and hunt accurately with monocular vision.

For more information on PHS-SPCA, click here.  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here