A Trap in the Roof Channel
A gray, downy owlet fluttered its tiny wings, trapped deep inside the metal curve of a roof gutter. Dry brown leaves gathered around its feet as it tried to push upward against the slick aluminum wall.
Perched directly on the edge of the dark roof shingles above, a large horned owl flared its broad wings. Its wide yellow eyes locked onto the baby below, beak parting open in a sharp hiss.
Every time the tiny chick scrambled, it slipped right back into the narrow metal channel.
Carrying the Ladder
Down on the green lawn below, a man in a blue t-shirt and ball cap lifted a long aluminum extension ladder onto his shoulder.
He walked across the grass toward the brick exterior of the house, looking upward at the roofline.
He placed the base of the ladder securely into the garden bed, planted his feet, and extended the upper section until it rested firmly against the upper wall beneath the gutter.
Taking slow steps, he began climbing rung by rung toward the roof edge.
Reaching Past the Talons
The adult owl remained stationed on the asphalt shingles, leaning forward over the edge with its ear tufts angled back. Its beak clicked repeatedly as the man’s head and hands appeared over the rim of the gutter.
The man paused at the top rung, keeping his upper body still.
He extended his bare hands slowly toward the trough of the gutter, inches away from the large bird’s sharp talons.
The adult owl opened its mouth wide, shifting its weight from foot to foot on the shingles.
The man lowered his fingers into the metal trough, gently cup-gripping the sides of the small, fluffy owlet.
The baby chick stopped thrashing, allowing the man’s fingers to secure its down-covered body.
A Safe Return to the Shingles
With a slow and steady motion, the man lifted the tiny owlet straight up out of the gutter basin.
He brought the chick over the lip of the metal siding and set its small yellow feet down directly onto the flat roof shingles.
The mother owl leaned forward instantly, lowering her chest and wrapping her wings around the small bundle of down.
The man slid his fingers away, stepping back down the rungs of the ladder as the large bird pulled the chick underneath her feathers against the dark asphalt tiles.
Know someone who loves wild animal rescues? Share this rooftop encounter with them.
