A few weeks ago we had an unusual case with a Tawny Owl. When he arrived, it was evident he had suffered some kind of head trauma as the eyes were bruised and swollen. However, Jess was surprised to find he was also missing his tail and had a puncture wound under his wing, suggesting that he had been caught by a predator or had been caught up somewhere.
In the hospital we are able to check the health of the raptors eyes by using an opthalmoscope to bounce light to the back of the eye, and detect any issues there may be. Many birds could be released with serious eye issues resulting in partial or full blindness that are often missed, due to the nature of the injury, and it is not always apparent there is an issue until you take a look at the eye more closely.
As you can see here the first eye looks cloudy, but upon scoping it is evident there is trauma to the retina and bruising that could result in partial blindness - compared to the second eye which looks much more normal and has a distinct pinky hue to the retina which is far healthier. Anti inflammatory medication can help the healing process, but during this time the eye health must be monitored for signs of decline or improvement.
New tail feathers growing out. All bird feathers grow "in pin" which protects the blood supply to the feather as it grows. The keratin sheath falls away as the feather reaches its full length, revealing the fresh plume.
After a couple of weeks in our care with plenty of food, he started to regrow his tail feathers. His eyes have cleared a bit, but one is still a bit cloudy, so we’re waiting a bit longer to see if his vision is compromised long term. He has been moved to a larger outdoor aviary to give him space to fly around and build up some fitness again, and we are monitoring him closely.