“The parents did not like that …”
When Wild Florida Rescue (WFR) volunteers Adriane and Lulu responded to a call about four baby owls in distress, they anticipated a straightforward mission. But what they thought would be a quick rescue turned into a multi-day effort full of challenges, adjustments, and ultimately — triumph.
“[T]hey had no idea it would last days,” WFR later shared on Facebook.
The four screech owlets had fallen through a torn air vent at a construction site, landing on a concrete floor — far from the nest and unreachable by their concerned parents. Too young to fly, the owlets were stranded, and their parents couldn’t retrieve them. It was now up to the volunteers to bring the family back together.
After consulting with Florida Fish and Wildlife, Adriane and Lulu set up a makeshift nest box just outside the construction zone, hoping the parents would return. But things didn’t go as planned.
“A nest box was [placed] right outside of the site, but the parents did not like that,” WFR explained.
When the volunteers returned the next day, it was clear the parents hadn’t come back. So, the team made a strategic change — relocating the nest box closer to the original nesting area, albeit still within the construction site.
“The next day, [the nest] was put back inside near the original nest,” WFR shared. “And [the] parents continued caring for their young.”
The owlets’ parents immediately resumed feeding and nurturing their babies — a promising sign. Still, the construction zone posed risks, and WFR knew the family couldn’t stay there long. So the team crafted a creative compromise: a hybrid location just on the edge of the construction area.
“[There was] a slight move of the nest box to compromise an outside-inside deal,” WFR wrote.
The solution worked. The parents continued raising their young, construction crews completed their work safely, and WFR installed cameras to keep watch from afar.
Over the following weeks, Adriane, Lulu, and the rest of the WFR team watched with joy as the tiny owlets matured into strong fledglings. Keeping the family together — rather than removing the babies for rehabilitation — had been their goal all along, and their perseverance paid off.
“We are so thrilled, even with all the work and worries by Adriane and Lulu, that these [babies] remained with [their] parents to fledge,” WFR posted.
The young owls are now just steps away from flying off into independence, learning life’s lessons from their ever-attentive mom and dad — all under the watchful eye of WFR’s cameras.
Some rescues don’t go according to plan, but this one ended exactly as it should: with a reunited family, safe and thriving.
“Thank you, Lulu and Adriane, for your ongoing time, care and persistence,” WFR wrote. “Not only in securing the owlets’ safety and well-being but also in assuring they could stay with Mom and Dad instead of being taken away. I love this team!”