this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2025
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Superbowl

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For owls that are superb.

US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now

International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com

Australia Rescue Help: WIRES

Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org

If you find an injured owl:

Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.

Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.

Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.

If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.

For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.

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First some hints, written upside-down since I can't quite get spoilers (":::") to work correctly:

  • HINT 1: ¡spɹᴉq pǝǝpuᴉ ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥ┴
  • HINT 2: sǝʎǝ ƃuᴉɔɐɟ-pɹɐʍɹoɟ ǝʌɐɥ ʎǝɥʇ 'slʍo ǝʞᴉ˥
  • HINT 3: ɹǝpɹo sʇᴉ ɟo ʇsǝᴉʌɐǝɥ ǝɥʇ sᴉ ǝuo sᴉɥʇ puɐ 'ssǝlʇɥƃᴉlɟ ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥʇ 'slʍo ʇsoɯ ǝʞᴉlu∩
  • HINT 4: spuɐlsᴉ puɐlɐǝZ ʍǝN ɹnoɟ oʇ ǝʌᴉʇɐu ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥ┴
  • HINT 5: ¡ǝɯɐu uoɯɯoɔ ɹᴉǝɥʇ ɟo ʇɹɐd sᴉ ,,lʍo,, pɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ʇnq 'ʇoɹɹɐd ɟo ǝdʎʇ ɐ ǝɹ,ʎǝɥʇ 'ʇɔɐɟ uI
  • HINT 6: ōdāʞāʞ sɐ uʍouʞ ǝsᴉʍɹǝɥʇo ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥ┴

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Okay then ... *drumroll* ... they are:

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The Kākāpō, or Owl Parrot😀

Unfortunately, these cuties are critically endangered, with only ~224 currently left, living across four NZ islands. It seems that introduced predators (mainly cats, rats and weasels) almost wiped this species out, but in the mid-90's, a desperation program was launched to save them.

The kākāpō cannot fly, having relatively short wings for its size and lacking the keel on the sternum (breastbone), where the flight muscles of other birds attach. It uses its wings for balance and to break its fall when leaping from trees. Unlike many other land birds, the kākāpō can accumulate large amounts of body fat. --WP

The kākāpō has a well-developed sense of smell, which complements its nocturnal lifestyle. It can distinguish between odours while foraging, a behaviour reported in only one other parrot species. The kākāpō has a large olfactory bulb ratio (longest diameter of the olfactory bulb/longest diameter of the brain) indicating that it does, indeed, have a more developed sense of smell than other parrots.

Pretty dang interesting to me, as birds in general tend to have a poor sense of smell & taste AFAIK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81k%C4%81p%C5%8D

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[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I look at birds, sometimes, and try to "see" a dinosaur. This is the first one I've seen that really conjures that spirit. Really cool!

[–] kamenlady@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago

Seriously... of all our beloved Therapod-dinos (birds), THAT has to be... fooohh... top three, at least?!?

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I saw a display of a shoebill at the Smithsonian. Even in stuffed form, that thing is imposing!

They look muddy in most of the photos I can recall, and this pic really shows that scary beak hook!

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Oh wow, I haven't thought about this guy in a while! I learned about it when I saw it on a book cover and wondered what type of owl it was. I thought the cookie was just an artistic choice at the time. 😆

Very interesting about the sense of smell! The owls don't really have one. That's what lets GHO chow down on all the skunks they want.

[–] terraborra@lemmy.nz 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

R was created at the University of Auckland in New Zealand which is probably why he’s on the cover.

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Oh, very cool! I didn't know that, but looking at the books website it does suggest making a donation to the people protecting the birds, Kakapo Recovery.

I only played around with R for a few months until the company I was with lost our contract bid. Now I do something else with people that surprisingly care little for data, at least in the role I'm in...

It was a fun language, and I felt it was pretty easy to pick up and powerful for what you were able to get out of what seemed like a small bit of code. Nice work, NZ!

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

Wait, what...?!?
Tell us more, please?

[–] terraborra@lemmy.nz 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Obligatory “shagged by a parrot” video: https://youtu.be/9T1vfsHYiKY

During the Stephen Fry doco “Last Chance to See” a Kakopo started furiously humping a member of the BBC film crew.

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

Hilarious, ridoinkulous, incredible... I don't even know what to say, daggit!

[–] ada@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm hoping to see one when I'm in New Zealand next month!

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Oh wow, how's that going to work?

Do the conservators allow tourists in to that protected territory?

[–] ada@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In small, guided groups, yes

[–] ShareMySims@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 weeks ago

Cool post, but the only thing going through my mind as soon as I read the title was this 😂

What do you get when you cross an owl with a bungee cord?

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I forgot I was going to try to help you with the spoiler syntax! It took me a few tries to get it myself.

results in this:

Text_you_want_displayedInsert whatever stuff here

You have to leave the "spoiler" after the first set of dots, and leave the last set of dots on its own line. All other regular syntax should work in the center of the code block.

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Thanks!!
I still don't know what the fluff I'm doing, but hopefully this here moron will get it, sooner or later...

[–] anon6789@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Indeed! My usual strategy is to keep failing until I eventually do something right by accident, then just try to remember what I did!