Deep in the woods of Cape Neddick, Maine, rests a collection of unassuming buildings sheltered by thick forest. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the only sound in this remote spot came from falling snow. Life seems to move a little bit slower here. That is, until you step into The Center for Wildlife’s main office.

“This is supposed to be our slow season,” said Laura Dehler, the center’s development director and outreach coordinator. This winter has been anything but slow at the rehabilitation facility for injured animals.

Most of the victims in this latest cavalcade of misfortune have come from one species—the barred owl. As of last week, 37 owls had been brought to the Center for Wildlife since late November, including 33 barred owls. With a month of winter still remaining, the numbers have already dwarfed the center’s typical count of six to eight barred owls. Many factors are contributing to the birds’ inauspicious winter, but foremost among them is their struggle to find food.

“It has been determined by scientists that there is a shortage of red-backed voles. That is their primary food source,” Dehler said.

Normally, large numbers of red-backed voles can be found in southeastern Canada, but the numbers have been down this year, according to Becky Suomala, a biologist for the New Hampshire Audubon Society. She attributes the vole’s decline to a natural cycle in the availability of food. When the vole’s population gets too high, the rodents eat themselves out of a limited food supply. But, when the population dwindles, food becomes more accessible and the reduced population gradually rebuilds. The vole’s currently plummeting population has left its predators in search of alternative food sources.

Dehler believes many of the hungry owls in northern New England have decided to migrate elsewhere. Neither Maine nor New Hampshire track barred owl populations, so her theory is debatable. What is not up for debate is the fact that barred owls are having trouble finding food this winter, leaving them malnourished and willing to take risks for their next meal.

“(Barred owls) end up down around the roadways, perhaps because they can see (rodents) on the roads,” Dehler said.

The owls’ acute sense of hearing enables them to hear rodents scurrying under the snow. But, according Suomala, this winter’s combination of snow and rain has left the rodents under an impenetrable fortress of snow and ice, leaving the roadways as a primary hunting option for owls.

When the weary bird swoops down for a meal, it loses sight of the dangers presented by this foreign environment. As a result, an alarming number of barred owls have been struck by vehicles, causing broken legs and wings and other injuries. There is very little a motorist can do to evade an owl, but there are cautionary steps Seacoast residents can take to help keep owls off the road.

While Dehler urges motorists to be wary of owls on the roadway, she also stresses the importance of not littering the roads with food. Food remnants can attract the birds’ prey to open roads, potentially putting owls in the path of oncoming vehicles.
Another trend that has had detrimental effects on barred owl populations is that people have been putting sticky traps in their barns with the intent of luring mice, but the traps can also beguile unsuspecting owls that pounce on the trapped prey. Dehler recalled an instance when she freed an owl from a sticky trap, but the traumatic experience haunted the bird and it refused to hunt. Apparently terrified of becoming glued to another trap, the bird never made the transition back to the wild. Overall, about half of the owls rehabilitated at the Center for Wildlife are able to successfully return to the wild.

Barred owls’ fragile psyche will also impact the birds’ upcoming mating season. Mating season normally starts during this time of year, but none of the 33 birds at the center will partake. The preoccupied birds will have to wait until next year before they can reproduce, yielding two to four eggs per couple.

Anyone who comes across an injured owl or any other hurt animal is encouraged to call The Center for Wildlife at 207-361-1400 before approaching the injured (and possibly defensive) creature. If you cannot reach the center, approach the owl with tremendous caution and, preferably, some thick gloves.

The busy winter has also left The Center for Wildlife searching for some much needed help. The center has established an “Emergency Owl Fund,” which is currently accepting donations through its Web site, www.yorkcenterforwildlife.org or by phone at 207-361-1400. It costs about $75 to treat each animal that comes into the center, which cares for about 1,500 animals per year. The center is also looking for volunteers. Applications and more information can be found on the Web site under the heading “Get Involved.”