2015: rarest bird encounter

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Lynne McCoy and Sugar

In October, wildlife rehabilitator Lynne McCoy and her snow white, albino barred owl named Sugar came to my Owl-ology 101 class at Ijams.

Unable to fly, Sugar had been rescued from a murder of crows that was harassing it with, dare I say, murderous intent.

Animals with albinism—"Congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration in a person, animal or plant," states Wiki—rarely survive in the wild because they lack any natural camouflage and tend to have weak immune systems. Without the goodness of Lynne, Sugar would have never survived.   

In addition to Sugar, Owlologists-to-be also met a screech owl, shared chocolate owl cupcakes provided by volunteer naturalist Laura Twilley and then went into the woods to search for an owl with Ijams’ own owl-whisperer Rex McDaniel.

It was all great fun!

Owl cupcakes made by Ijams volunteer naturalist Laura Twilley. Almost too cute to eat, you'll want to take one home and give it your guest room.

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