Brasschaat (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Daphne Van Mieghem’s VOC Brasschaat/Kapellen rescued 2 soot-covered owls from a chimney. Aftercare, including feeding, the owls are recovering and will be released with tracking rings. To prevent future incidents, use chimney grids or owl boxes.
According to Daphne Van Mieghem from VOC Brasschaat/Kapellen, they got a report about a tawny owl found in a chimney on a recent Sunday, February 2, 2025. The team acted fast and took the owl in for care.
The next day, February 3, 2025, they received another call from the same place. This call was about a 2nd tawny owl in the same chimney. The shelter was able to respond to both situations. They made sure both owls were taken care of properly.
How did VOC Brasschaat save two tawny owls from a chimney?
According to Van Mieghem, it is breeding season for owls and jackdaws right now. These birds are searching for safe places to build their nests. He mentioned that the tawny owl pair that was found likely discovered an opening in the chimney and chose it as a nesting spot.
Van Mieghem believes that the nests in these areas can become heavy. He mentioned that this weight can cause the nests to collapse and the birds to fall. This is probably what happened with the two owls in the chimney, which is why they needed help from the shelter.
“The pair of owls may have found an opening in the chimney, but often the nest becomes too heavy and they fall”
Daphne Van Mieghem, coordinator of VOC Brasschaat/Kapellen
According to Van Mieghem, an open chimney would make it easier to get the owls out safely. This would give a clear path to reach them. He mentioned that things become more complicated with chimneys that have a flap. This flap stops direct access to where the owls might be nesting. In these cases, it is harder to help the birds.
“It was a chimney that was still actively being used With an open chimney it is easier to remove the owls, but sometimes you also have chimneys where you cannot touch them because of an intermediate flap,”
Says Van Mieghem.
In response to these problems, Van Mieghem and the shelter are suggesting ways to keep both animals and people safe. They mentioned that one idea is to put a grid on top of chimneys. This grid would stop animals from getting stuck inside. It would keep birds like owls and other wildlife from entering chimneys.
They said that another idea is to hang owl boxes nearby. These boxes would give owls a safe place to build their nests. This would help lower the chances of them looking for dangerous spots like chimneys.
The owls that came to the shelter this week will stay there for now. The sanctuary says the birds are doing well after their tough time. They were covered in soot from being in the chimney, which made them sick. According to the sanctuary, to help them recover, the owls rested for 2 days at the shelter. During this time, they were fed through a tube to make sure they got enough fluids and food.
According to Sanctuary, the owls are now eating on their own. They have been moved to a safe aviary to help them regain their strength. Once they are fully healthy, the sanctuary will put special rings on them to track their movements. They mentioned that if everything goes well, the owls will be released back into the wild to live their natural lives.
“In the meantime, they are eating independently. They are now in a closed aviary and if they are healthy enough again soon, they will be given a scientific ring and released again,”
The sanctuary said.
