GIVING A HOOT : With a Little Help, Oliver the Owl Returns to the Wild

Oliver, a young great horned owl that spent six weeks in captivity recuperating from head injuries he may have suffered while learning to fly, winged his way into the wilds of Monrovia Canyon on Tuesday.

But as takeoffs go, this one wasn’t much to behold.

With open expanses on all sides--and San Gabriel Valley Humane Society officers looking on--Oliver flew lackadaisically for about 20 feet and then landed on a rock outcropping.

It usually happens like that, explained Joan Coleman, the Humane Society’s executive director. “They hardly ever just fly away like you’d hope,” she said. “They usually go to the nearest tree and just sit.”

When he was found in mid-June, Oliver had cuts on his beak and head, possibly the result of a failed flight attempt, according to John Coleman, the society’s assistant executive director and Joan Coleman’s son.

No Strangers

Raptors are no strangers to the San Gabriel Valley shelter or others across the county. Coleman estimated that her shelter cares for two or three each month. A red-tailed hawk with a wing on the mend should become the second bird released this month, if the limb is deemed flight ready next week, she said.

“Anything we find in the wild goes back to the wild,” John Coleman said.

Rehabilitating birds of prey has become more common as human population increases and encroaches on the wildlife habitat, according to Mike Wallace, curator of birds at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Unlike the California condor, birds such as the great horned owl and the red-tailed hawk are common in Southern California and faring well, Wallace said.

“They fly throughout all of suburbia,” he said. “I get calls continually about ‘this huge owl which ate my cat.’ ”

But in exchanges with man, the bird inevitably loses. That has created a greater need for “rehabbers” who can help heal ailing birds, Wallace said.

In addition to the various animal shelters, about 60 individuals have been licensed by the state Department of Fish and Game to temporarily treat injured and diseased birds.

The Colemans estimated that Oliver was 5 months or younger when he was found. He was missing flight feathers that are normal in adult owls. Although his injuries were slight, the society kept him until he could fly and fend for himself.

But Oliver wasn’t in any hurry Tuesday. Perched on the rock, he gazed through large yellow eyes and stood his ground.

Finally, with a little prodding from spectators, Oliver flew into the smoggy skies.