Asio Blaze is a short-eared owl. (Asio flammeus) He is the newest member to join the team of educational birds at the Feather Rehabilitation Center.

He was found October 13, 2004 just outside of Chilton Wisconsin after being hit by a car. He had a fracture of the left radius and ulna near the elbow joint. His wing was pinned not for a release, but just to save the wing. His eye injury was an old injury before the car hit. He will never be able to fly to be released. He also can't see out of his left eye.

Asio has spent the 2004-2005 winter in a 4 x 5 x 7 foot pen in the basement of the Feather Rehab Center and dines on fresh rodents or an occasional chicken. When the Wisconsin winter is over he will have a 10 x 10 x 10 foot pen outside.

Short-eared owls are the nighttime hunters that share the same territory with the Northern Harrier hawk. They both are ground nesters. Both species are not that common because of the predation on the nest being on the ground.

Asio Blaze will soon be doing programs for the Feather in the spring of 2005.