QuickTake:

A baby snowy owl and a northern hawk owl made some of their first appearances at the Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, drawing delight from visitors. Still in their awkward first flights, the young raptors are being raised to take part in the center’s outreach and education programs on wildlife conservation.

Like many babies, this little one’s steps are clumsy. So, too, are its wings, just learning to fly.

Sunday, Aug. 17, birders at the Cascades Raptor Center watched as the snowy owl, about two months old, made its first vertical ascent — a determined three to four feet onto a perch. Its downy talons gripped firmly, a glimpse of the predator it will grow to be.

Most people never see snowy owls, native to Arctic regions, especially fledglings, this close. So when trainers introduced center’s newcomers — the young snowy owl along with a baby northern hawk owl — heads turned, though not with as much range as the owls, whose necks have nearly twice the vertebrae of humans.

But humans and the baby owls, both wide-eyed and chatty, seemed to share the same curiosity and wonder in the forests of Eugene, they now share. 

The young snowy owl scans the exhibit, matching the onlookers who watch in awe. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Owls twisting their head nearly backward is a hallmark of their anatomy that allows a 270-degree view. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Talons stretch wide, gripping firmly on a log. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Smiling visitors watch as the baby snowy owl seemingly looks back at them. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
With a sudden lean forward, the owl readies itself for a test flight. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
The two-month-old raptor fluffs its downy feathers as it shifts on the perch after its first vertical ascent. Fledging looks different for snowy owls, which hatch in ground mounds on the tundra, compared with tree-nesting birds. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
A close-up shows the mottled pattern on its wings, camouflage that will change as it grows into an adult. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
A snowy owl chick doesn’t have a significantly different wingspan than its adult counterpart, up to 5 feet wide. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
The northern hawk owl is largely found in boreal forests in Canada and Alaska Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Onlookers gather as the young hawk owl debuts, its early confidence drawing fascination from the crowd. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
The northern hawk owl is developing much faster than the snowy owl, despite being two weeks younger, and has been able to hop to some of the highest perches in her enclosure. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Both baby owls are being raised to become ambassadors, birds that cannot be released into the wild, typically because of human influence. They help teach people about their species and conservation at the center.

Hans, the Eurasian eagle-owl, is a veteran ambassador. He spreads his massive wings during countless flight shows at the Cascades Raptor Center. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
With practiced precision, Hans threads his way through a narrow gap, showing the skill that comes from years of experience. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Visitors tilt their heads upward as Hans soars overhead, his powerful wings drawing gasps of admiration. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Other birds were on display during the flight show. Callie, the turkey vulture, grabs her snack before heading back toward her crate, content to let the show go on without her. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Max, the peregrine falcon, perches calmly, his bond with trainers built more on trust than attachment — raptors see their handlers as co-workers, not companions. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Padawan, the barn owl, homes in on a hidden speaker in the grass, his sharp hearing guiding him. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
Valentina, the great horned owl, calls out with a sound she never outgrew — a juvenile cry that lingers from being raised in human care. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

In the coming months, the baby owls will gradually appear in exhibits, joining other avian ambassadors that support Oregon’s only certified raptor rehabilitation center. As the center treats injured wildlife, its ambassadors educate through flight shows that connect people with conservation.

Their paycheck? Mice guts and insects.

Ashli Blow brings 12 years of experience in journalism and science writing, focusing on the intersection of issues that impact everyone connected to the land — whether private or public, developed or forested.