ADOPT AN OWL
Exciting news: Our Adopt-an-Owl program is back for its fourth year! Symbolically adopt a banded Northern Saw-whet Owl and directly support our owl research efforts.
Owls are among the least understood birds in the world, and there is much we do not know about their numbers, migrations, nocturnal behaviors, and habitat needs. Northern Saw-whet Owl is eastern North America’s smallest (and arguably cutest) owl, a focal species of Wild Bird Research Group’s conservation work. Each fall and winter we safely capture and band hundreds of these owls during their migration to learn more about them and their fascinating life histories.
Owl adoptions directly support Wild Bird Research Group’s many owl research initiatives and make an excellent gift for an owl-loving friend or family member. When you symbolically adopt a banded Northern Saw-whet Owl from our research station, you or a designated recipient will receive:
✔️ an official adoption certificate
✔️ a portrait of the owl
✔️ the owl’s original encounter data
✔️ a photo of the owl’s wing illuminated by ultraviolet light, along with the owl’s wing length and mass—information that researchers use to determine the age and sex of migrating owls
The certificate holder can visit a web URL included with the certificate to determine the age of the adopted owl and whether it is male or female. The certificate holder will be notified if the adopted owl is reencountered anywhere in North America.
*Please note: We wait to fulfill owl adoption orders until early December because our small nonprofit staff is busy banding owls until this time. We ship priority mail, so there will be no tracking number for your order. Rest assured, if you are considering giving an owl adoption as a gift for the holidays, we can guarantee delivery of digital certificates by December 20th, and physical certificates by December 22nd.
HOW TO ADOPT YOUR OWL
Step 1: PayPal Checkout
After clicking the “Buy Now” button you will be redirected to Paypal. Complete the owl adoption donation process in Paypal
Step 2: Fulfillment Form
After submitting your payment, you will be redirected to a fulfillment form to customize your order, this is where you will enter shipping and gift recipient information.
Step 3: Success!
After completing our fulfillment form your order is complete and you will receive a confirmation email. We will process your order in early December (after the conclusion of owl migration banding) and you will receive your order before the holidays.
If any page in the process does not refresh and redirect you to the next step then we did not receive your certificate request. Please email us at info@wildbirdresearch.org.
*If you exit the window before filling out the online fulfillment form WBRG will not be able to process your order.
Already have a Saw-whet Owl?
To age and sex your Northern Saw-whet Owl compare your data to our ultraviolet photographs and wing/mass chart.
