It's officially spring, and that means baby birds are breaking out of their shells and getting ready to make their first attempts at flight. Residents of Minneapolis can get an up-close look at a family of great horned owls that are currently living in a "busy Minneapolis park," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which has released several videos of the owls. There are at least two owlets in the nest and they are estimated to be about four weeks old.
The nest was knocked down during a storm in early March and the chicks were found on the ground, according to USFWS. Volunteers from the University of Minnesota Raptor Center stepped in to help rebuild the nest on a reinforced platform high in a large white pine tree.
Great horned owls can be found throughout much of the western hemisphere, though it's more common for them to build nests in remote forests. The Raptor Center has asked that the location of the nest remain secret out of concern for the young owls, said Courtney Celley of the USFWS Midwest Region in an email. These videos will have to suffice, unless you are lucky enough to stumble upon the nest on your own. Good luck!
