10/05/2026
🦉 💔 Imagine flying freely one moment... and then suddenly finding yourself trapped.
Unable to fly.
Unable to escape.
Struggling against a web of netting that only tightens the more you fight.
This beautiful great horned owl was caught in netting and unfortunately, this is not a rare call for wildlife rehabilitators. I receive several calls a year involving birds of prey tangled in sports nets, garden netting, soccer goals, batting cages, and other types of mesh.
To us, it's just a net.
To a bird, it can become a death trap.
Owls, hawks, falcons, and other birds can become tangled by their wings, feet, or feathers. They can suffer devastating injuries, exhaustion, broken bones, damaged feathers, or die from being trapped.
🦉 And the heartbreaking part? Many of these situations can be prevented.
Before putting up netting, please think about the wildlite around you.
Choose smaller-hole netting whenever possible.
Take sports nets down when they aren't being
used. Don't leave them standing overnight.
Keep nets and equipment secured tightly against your home or another solid structure rather than leaving them loose and exposed.
Check garden netting frequently for loose areas
where wildlife could become caught.
Most importantly, don't assume that because a net is designed for people, it is safe for wildlife.
Birds don't see these hazards the way we do.
And if you find a bird trapped in netting, please don't try to pull it free yourself. This bird made it out without any major injuries... but we've seen several in the past that aren't so lucky! Talons, wings, feathers, and netting can become dangerously intertwined. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or wildlife rescue professional as quickly as possible.
We can't prevent every wildlife emergency. But this is one we CAN help prevent.
That net might only be worth a few dollars.
That bird's life is priceless.
Please share this.
One person seeing this post and changing the way they use their netting could mean one less bird needing a rescue call.
Protect wildlife. Think before you net.
