A male great horned owl, discovered injured last week and subsequently deceased, has sparked speculation that he might have been the mate of Athena, the resident owl at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The center revealed that Athena’s nesting efforts this season were unsuccessful, indicating that her mate had ceased his role in providing food.
During this period, one of Athena’s two owlets perished, while the other was rescued and is currently receiving rehabilitation at Austin Wildlife Rescue. Experts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have determined that the failure of the nest was largely due to inadequate food and warmth.
Ben Walters, who oversees the lab’s bird cams project, explained that Athena was likely engaged in hunting while also caring for her owlets, responsibilities she typically shares with her mate. Observations through a camera showed Athena spending extended periods away from the nest.
“Generally, we observe Athena meeting her mate off-camera to collect food deliveries, which she then returns to the nest,” Walters noted. “If, for some reason, he had vanished, possibly due to injury, that could account for the decrease in food supply.”
Last week, Suzanne Ries, a resident near the Wildflower Center, found an injured male owl on her porch. If this owl is indeed Athena’s mate, it may provide insight into the recent nesting difficulties.
<p“It was literally knocking on my front door,” Ries recounted. “I didn’t know what to do, so I called 311.” An officer from Animal Protection was dispatched to retrieve the bird.
According to Elizabeth Ferrer, a spokesperson for Austin Animal Services, the owl had a significant wound on its shoulder that was severely infected. Due to the timing of the incident occurring after hours, the officer transported the owl to the Austin Animal Center for overnight holding, following standard procedure. However, upon arrival the next morning at Austin Wildlife Rescue, staff discovered that the owl had passed away.
“We cannot ascertain how he was injured or the cause of death,” Ferrer stated. “Since the owl was not tagged, there is no definitive way to confirm if it was Athena’s mate. Yet, the timing aligns with the recent events.”
