09/01/2026
September is here 🎉🍂🍁🪵
 in time again for an ambassador highlight
Each month we celebrate the incoming month with highlights from one of our educational or retired ambassadors
This month we are celebrating the
Short Eared Owl
Mukwa
Is our beloved short eared owl
Despite being a native of Indiana their presence is is only witnessed during the winter months
During the spring and summer, they are far north nesting
They migrate to Indiana during the winter
Where they can be spotted sometimes even in abundance during the daylight hours since they are, what is called diurnal
They hunt day or night
They like to hunt the open field or stubble of a plowed crop field
They at one time would stay here year-round because Indiana had plenty of Prairie grass and marsh land
These are necessities for habitat during nesting
But sadly, this habitat has very little importance to many of the farmers they cut it. They burn it. They drain it eliminating this habitat.
Short eared owls nest on the ground in Prairie grass
They will have 3 to 5 eggs
They are totally dependent on their parents, even after fledging
Their parents will try to teach them how to hunt on their own
Many of these birds will venture down to the lower 48 to spend winter before returning north to nest
They are a medium sized owl with wingspans of 33”-40”
They weigh 7-26 ounces
And stand 13-16” tall
They can be spotted on a fence post overlooking a field, where they hover above the ground, looking for rodent activity
Rodents are there main source of food
They’re bright yellow eyes and their beautiful variation in colors give them striking appearances
Their genus is famulus
Which means the color of fire or flame
And that’s exactly what they’re beautiful feathers look like
We have been so honored to have them as our ambassadors through the years
Our first short eared owl was Orkie who had been shot in Marshall County when someone mistake him for a duck
It left him unflighted and unreleasable 
It was an honor to have him for 12 years as one of our ambassadors
After losing him, we were able to get a female short, eared owl that had been hit by a car in Wisconsin from our dear friend the late great Barbra Harvey
Who was a great educator from Wisconsin
Smiley sadly had lost one eye and had trauma to her head
She was able to be transferred via permit here in 2010 after we lost Orkie
Shortly after that the same year we obtained Allegan  from our friends that rehab in Michigan after he was hit by a car and his wing was pinned, but he was never able to fly
We enjoyed both of these educational birds until they passed away in 2018 and 2020
On January 5 of 2020 we admitted from Fulton County Indiana a short eared owl that had been hit by a car and was almost froze to death
That is our current ambassador Mukwa which means in Native American little bear
He sustained damage to his wing and is unable to fly
Telling their story of preserving property and returning it to wetlands, and Prairie grass is part of the story these beautiful birds tell the public without habitat, they can no longer live in our state if more people were aware of this perhaps they would return wetlands by removing drains, planting prairie grass and giving this amazing Owl again the habitat in our state that it deserves
Here are some pictures of the amazing past and present short eared owls that we have been blessed and honored to work with 
