Eastern Screech-Owls: Protect Nests During Summer

0:00It's April 8th. This is Tampa Bay News today, powered by AI. Eastern Screech Owls are tiny cavity nesters, hiding their homes deep inside tree trunks where they're tough to spot. Right now in Pinellas County, Florida, one of the biggest hot spots for these birds in the US tree trimming by folks is knocking out nests left and right during peak season from April through August. Wildlife rescues are swamped, with texts like Dillon Conn at a local sanctuary, handling five or six re-nesting jobs just in the past few days. Human activity tops the list for why these owls end up displaced, way more than storms or rain. The sanctuary dropped the social media alert, urging everyone to hold off a non-essential treework till after nesting time, since these birds don't. Build obvious twig nests on branches. Home owners are reacting by calling in more reports, but experts say you might not need to wait the full season. If the owlets are close to fledging, a few days or a week could do the trick before getting back to yard chores.

1:01For urgent cases like trees near power lines, pros recommend a close check for nests first, spot a hurt or tumbled bird. Hit up the rescue line at 727-391-6211. All don't try playing hero yourself. As summer heats up, calls are only going to climb, so let's give these owls the space they need to raise their young without us crashing the party.