Eye Injuries in Long-eared Owls (Asio otus): Prevalence and Survival

Thirty-eight eye injuries and abnormalities were noted over a 22-yr period studying Long-eared Owls (Asio otus). Injury frequency, distribution per eye, shape, size, and directionality, are reported. The prevalence rate was low (2.05%), as only 31 of 1510 owls had noticeable injuries to the iris. Seven other noticeable eye abnormalities are also described. There was no significant difference between the number of injuries in the left versus right eye; however, there were significantly more injuries in the bottom half of the eye verses the top, suggesting some directionality. Nine of the owls with iris injuries were recaptured between 2 wk and 3 yr later, with four of the nine recaptured 1–3 yr later. Two owls with noticeable eye abnormalities were recaptured 2 mo and 4 mo later. This suggests the ability of some individuals to survive with ocular trauma.