International Owl Center
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      • History of Rusty and Iris
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  • Ukrainian Art for Ukrainian Kids
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  • Store
  • Home
  • Programs and Events
    • Virtual Owl Expert Speaker Series
    • Owl Prowls
    • International Owl Awareness Day
    • Special programs
    • Breakfast with the Owls
    • Virtual Programs
    • Festival of Owls
    • School and Group Programs
  • Future Plans
    • Design concept contest gallery
  • Our Research
    • Research Basics
    • Live Cam
    • Hear Individual Owls
    • Types of Great Horned Owl Vocalizations
    • Great Horned Owl Growth Chart
    • Background Info >
      • History of Rusty and Iris
      • What will happen to Rusty and Iris's young?
      • Owl Glossary
      • Great Horned Owl Facts
    • Blog
  • DIY Activities
    • What kind of owl are you?
    • Crafts
    • Dissecting Owl Pellets
    • Build an Owl Nest Box
    • Coloring Pages
    • Puzzles
  • I found an injured owl!
    • What do I do?
    • Find a Rehabber
  • Owls and You
    • Joggers and Owls
    • Live an Owl-Friendly Life
    • Respectful Owl Photography and Observation
    • Owls as Pets
    • Owls Attacking Pets
    • Owl Myths and FAQ
  • Visit Us / About Us
    • Visit
    • Our Owls
    • Staff and Board
    • History
  • Support Us
    • Memberships
    • Donate
    • Founder's Circle
    • Other Ways to Help
  • Educator Resources
    • Education Methods
    • Assessing Impact
    • Regulations
    • Workshop Summary
    • Resources
    • Links
  • Owl Conferences
    • Future Conferences
    • Past Conferences
    • Conference Planning
    • E-Newsletter
  • Ukrainian Art for Ukrainian Kids
  • Kids' Art Contest
  • Store
International Owl Center

Live Cam

You can also watch and chat on the Owl Center's YouTube profile.
Click here to see a general diagram of the aviary layout. ​

Support

You can make a tax-deductible contribution to help support this project. Your contribution will help feed the owls, maintain and modify the aviaries, cover veterinary bills, purchase new technology when needed, and more. It costs $18/day to feed all six of the Owl Center's owls, and you can click here to buy the owls dinner or make a general donation.
If you prefer to use PayPal you may use the link below.
Picture
Or you can mail a check to:
International Owl Center
PO Box 536
Houston, MN 55943

    Help us with our research by submitting your observations

    You can help this research by submitting your observations. It is impossible for us to observe all significant behaviors, so we need your eyes and ears to help. Please use this form to report: 
    • Owlet "hooting"
    • Squawks
    • Emphatic or Wild Hoots
    • Egg Laying
    • Interaction with wild owls outside the aviary
    • Anything else that you feel is significant
    ​
    To get familiar with these vocalizations, visit the Great Horned Owl Vocalization page of this website. 
Submit
If you have multiple observations to report, please use this form.​ Once your observation is submitted, reload that page for a new form.

WHY ARE THESE OWLS IN CAPTIVITY?
Iris cannot live in the wild because she is blind in one eye. She is held under permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as part of a research project to study their vocalizations. This captive breeding situation has helped:
• Document the complete vocal repertoire of the Great Horned Owl and associated behaviors
• Track the development of the territorial hoot in young owls
• Determine the stability of the territorial hoot of individual owls over time
• Determine if there are inherited territorial hoot characteristics
This research is helping future Great Horned Owl researchers understand their study subjects much better and may lessen the need to capture and mark owls to identify individuals.

Rusty the Great Horned Owl's vision declined to the point of blindness and he earned his angel wings on January 31, 2022.
​
More background information here.

Links  - ​ Privacy policy
International Owl Center
126 E Cedar St.
Houston, MN 55943

(507) 896-OWLS (6957)
Karla@InternationalOwlCenter.org
​
501(c)3 organization
​EIN #45-5503365
The Explore Minnesota logo.
The Explore La Crosse logo.
The Houston Area Chamber of Commerce logo.


The International Festival of Owls logo.
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