On Thurday 21st July, responding to a call from a member of the public, we collected an injured Tawny Owl from the central reservation of the A38 near Ashburton, Devon.
The bird was somewhat subdued and, due to its location, we suspect it had collided with a vehicle. Sadly this is not uncommon. Major roads are a significant cause of bird fatalities. Most major roads have long stretches that are not fenced or screened meaning there is nothing to force owls to fly higher before crossing the road. You can read more about how major roads can affect wild owls here.
Although this Tawny Owl displayed no obvious signs of injury it most likely suffered internal damage. Sadly the owl passed away later that evening. We’d like to thank the members of the public who got in touch to let us know they had seen this injured bird. If you see an injured bird please do not put yourself at risk in attempting to rescue it. We have a list of UK wide contacts accessible through our website should you need to contact someone.
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