Conservation welcomes Montgomery

The Wolfe Nature Center at Anderson Conservation Area has added a second feathered friend.
The new owl joins Moira, who came to the center in November of 2022. The new owl, which is male, was introduced on Facebook, and county naturalist Cassandra Barbossa said a contest was held to name him.
 “So we had between 85 and 95 votes. Some people submitted multiple names on their submission. I looked at the chart and picked the top five to put up on Facebook for people to click the Like button so that we could pick out whose name actually officially won. The voters chose Montgomery as his name,” explained Barbossa.
Moira is a red phase Eastern Screech Owl. Barbossa said Montgomery has color variance, but is the same breed.
“He’s a different color, he’s a gray phase Eastern Screech Owl. And that’s kind of like our own hair color in genetics. It doesn’t mean he’s a boy, it doesn’t mean he’s a girl. It’s just the luck of the draw there in the Screech Owl genetics,” commented Barbossa.
While Screech Owls are meant to live in nature, Barbossa said Montgomery has a lifelong injury that prevents him from living in the wild. In Montgomery’s case, and in the case of all animals that have been classified for education purposes they could not be re-released into the wild.
“His backstory is that he got hit by a car, so he’s visually impaired. He had retinal damage and he can no longer see distances so he can’t hunt. He’s nearsighted like me,” advised Barbossa. One wing he has been holding a little bit lower because he did have some residual swelling from the impact, but he’s fully flighted. So whenever I go to catch him in the aviary, it’s a little bit harder than Moira, since Moira came in with a broken humerus bone, and she holds her own right wing a little lower than her left.”
Barbossa said she’s happy to add Montgomery to the fold and have a second owl to tend to and assist with edicational programs.
“It’s really cool to have a representative who’s a gray phase and then one who’s a red phase Eastern Screech Owl,” said Barbossa.
Montgomery also came from the same place as Moira, Save Our Avian Resources.
“Since we already had an owl, we built our aviary fitted for two fully-flighted Screech Owls, so it was really easy just to get him whenever one came in. One of the rehabbers contacted me that they had a gray Screech Owl in and was aware we were  looking for a second owl, so they said if we would like him, he was all ours,” Barbossa stated.
Barbossa added whenever she brings them both to programs, the kids always observe that he looks a little bit chubbier than Moira, but looks can be deceiving.
“They actually weigh about the same. They both weigh about 162 grams. I don’t know why he’s so fluffy. He’s just got a great little set of feathers on him. He’s also very calm. I’ve heard through the grapevine of other naturalists that have Eastern Screech Owls that their boy owls are usually more tender than the females,” Barbosssa commented. “So they’re a little bit more forgiving. He’s only bit me a couple of times. Moira bites me every chance she gets and I get her out a lot.”
Barbossa said Montgomery has been very popular with area kids and is still learning the ropes.
“I’m hoping one of these days he learns to get up on my hand a little bit more with ease like Moira does. It took her a little bit too. He and Moira also get along very well. They sit on the same branch, and they both fly away together whenever I walk in there,” Barbossa said.
Save Our Avian Resources is an animal rescue organization for birds, with several volunteers. Barbossa said she’s taken injured birds to volunteer Cassie Wendell.
“Anytime I get birds here from Red Oak or Montgomery County, I will take them to her. I’ve taken in Red-Tailed Hawks, and owls to her, and then she takes them to Kay Newman. Newman is a master falconer who has been doing this for more than 40 years and really knows her stuff and gets them rehabilitated. They have a really good success rate when rehabilitation does not usually have that great of an outcome for wildlife at least.”
Alfstad added she has a fondness for birds, after taking an ornithology class at Northwest Missouri State. Having the ability to work with Montgomery and Moira has been a dream come true for her.
The aviary, which was built in August 2022, is built slightly larger than federal guidelines, in order to house multiple species. Costs of the aviary were funded through membership fees from summer camp.
Donations to help pay for food for Montgomery and Moira can be sent to the conservation office, 2059 190th St., Red Oak, IA 51566.
More information about Anderson Conservation Area can be found at montgomeryccb.org.