Erin Winston (“Winnie”)
American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata)
Born: March 6, 2022 Arrival Date: May 12, 2022, from Wild Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, MO
Winnie’s story is dear to our hearts. Our wildlife team sought an able-bodied barn owl who would be comfortable with public programming, so Taylor reached out to the Wild Bird Sanctuary to connect us with an owl. During that time, a non-profit called Love, Erin asked to donate to honor their daughter, Erin. Her mother wanted to donate specifically to an owl because they were Erin’s favorite animal. As the stars aligned, this moment was meant to be. All care costs for Winnie were graciously covered, and she has since given back so much to our community and team.
While all other raptors in our care are injured or incapable of flight, Winnie is unique. She is healthy and has been taught to fly towards the sound of a cricket. Our visitors can experience her silent flight first-hand and witness the amazing abilities of the barn owl!
Winnie is featured in a special program called Owl Odyssey that occurs every Friday and Saturday at 1pm, where you learn about the ghosts of nature. She is also in our program rotation, which means she is a possible candidate for our educational wildlife programs. We believe in the animal’s consent, so we will only bring out an ambassador who feels up to the challenge for any given program.