Squeaky

Name: Named because of the loud squeaky noise he made as a 3 day old chick begging for food.
Date in: 4/25/89
Hatched: 4/22/1989
Gender: Male, because of size and DNA testing
Age at arrival: 3 days
Came from: Otter Creek Park

Story: Owls lay their eggs in a staggered order skipping several days between each. The older stronger birds will often push the younger ones out of the nest or cannibalize them (survival of the fittest). Squeaky was pushed from the nest by his siblings, but not before they had chewed a toe almost completely off. He was 3 days old when we received him, and his eyes were just opening. He was hand raised and imprinted because a missing toe would hamper his hunting skills. Squeaky was then transferred to Otter Creek Park to be used as an education bird until 1991. At that time Squeaky came back to RROKI because Otter Creek had acquired another Screech Owl.

Squeaky has served as a surrogate father since he was 3 years old and has raised nearly 100 chicks in his seven years of service. Unfortunately, in 1997 he developed fatty liver disease because he was overweight. It was discovered that as Squeaky fed a chick a cricket, he often ate one or two himself. He continued to foster for a few more years, but in 1999 he was retired from fostering permanently due to his advanced age and a decidedly crotchety attitude towards his chicks. Squeaky now lives a life of ease without the "kids"...

As an imprint, Squeaky is infamous at RROKI for "courting" volunteers. During Screech Owl mating season, Squeaky begins by dancing on the head of people who enter his cage. Later, he brings people mouse legs, and finally he delivers entire mice to try and convince them that he is a good provider. While this is "cute" behavior to us, it really illustrates how sad the life of an imprinted bird that does not know its true identity can be.