From North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre

This juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owl arrived this past week after being found stunned and unable to fly.

Luckily there were no fractures found on x-rays but it is recovering from some swelling along its spine.

We are hopeful that with time, good nutrition, and supportive care, that this little one will make a full recovery and be returned back to the wild!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Saw Whet in the in-between stage of life before. I kept looking at the photo and thinking it looked odd, and then I noticed it has an adult face on a mostly juvi body! I like the specks on the body plumage where it’s starting to turn.

Here’s the juvi and adult so you can see how they’re mixed with this little one.