Keep an Eye Out for Owl Pals as the Weather Gets Colder

Photo Credit: Pexels

It’ll soon be the most flirtatious time of the year for owls; which means there will be many more birds out on the prowl seeking dates and mates. Here’s why you’ll want to keep an eye out for the owls this winter.

South Africa (14 May 2025) — Spring might be for new life, but winter is when many animals get cozy enough to make the magic happen. In the owl world, ‘Netflix and chill’ season approaches, and in the human world, we might just find ourselves in the midst of a few owls out on the prowl looking for mates. Keep an eye out, because you might just meet an owl in trouble (and not because their date went south).

Recently, the fantastic team of animal heroes at FreeMe Wildlife shared word of an owl that had been grounded in Rosetta.

Thanks to the kind-hearted Tiffany, the owl (said to have been in a dire state due to mites and a lack of nutrition) is now in the care of the FreeMe Wildlife team and on the road to recovery.

“As our local owl species get ready for their winter breeding seasons, there is a lot more activity going on. Young owls are looking for mates, established pairs are calling to renew bonds and announce territories, females are settling on eggs and males are out hunting for two,” the team explain.

As such, it would serve all animal lovers well to keep our heads turned for owls who might be grounded, stuck in sticky situations after an ambitious hunt or ones who have chosen to nest in human-made spaces (owls breed and nest in enclosed spaces, which could mean a hole in your garden’s tree in better cases, or a mine shaft in not-so-great cases.

Encounter an Owl in Trouble? Here’s What to Do

Firstly, assess the situation; you’ll want to observe the bird before acting hastily. If the owl does not fly away after a short while after say, hunting, there could be a problem.

If you can get close and see that the owl appears injured or sick, you’ll want to contact: