I often get calls from people who have found a tawny owl on the ground. In most cases it's probably safest to leave it well alone. But if you are concerned, here's what to do.
Wear protection
Tawny owlets are known to fledge early and often end up on the ground. Normally you don't need to intervene and in fact it's important not to remove one from the area, unless it is very small (smaller than your fist) or close to a main road or it's visibly injured. If you are concerned, you can pick it up and, if it's not injured, place it on a tree trunk where the adults will find it. Before you do so, it's important to protect your head and eyes. A pair of glasses will do. This is because the adults are very protective and if they hear the chick 'clacking' they may well attack.
Start with a health check
It's important to check that the chick's wings haven't been broken and you can do this by gently stretching out each wing and if it closes back into place it's fine. It's also important that it's feet are healthy and to check them if you place it on the ground, without letting go, and check if it grips properly.
What not to worry about
Sometimes people mistake perfectly normal owl attributes or behaviour for symptoms of a problem. A common one is that people think the pink around a tawny owl's eyes is a worrying sign - but actually tawny owls do have pink eyelids. People also worry when they see bald patches on the ankles, again this is normal. Another concern for some is when an owlet 'plays dead', again this is often nothing to worry about. In most cases it will be perfectly fine if you pop it up onto a branch and the parents will come and feed it.
Place the tawny out of danger
On the whole if you find a tawny owlet on the ground there's no need to be too concerned. Watch the film to learn how to hold it safely (it's important not to hold it too tight) and then place it on a branch. It will be able to climb to safety and it's parents will find it. In fact it may well fall again!
