Eastern Screech Owl Mount for River Bend Nature Center

Finished Screech Owl Mount 

Garry recently mounted a Grey Phase Eastern Screech Owl for the River Bend Nature Center in Racine, Wisconsin.  The owl had flown into a window and was given to the nature center. Birds of prey are federally protected and cannot be possessed by private individuals. A federally licensed taxidermist can mount them for museums, nature centers, schools and other institutions with a federal salvage permit. 

The photos below show the procedure for mounting the owl.

Skinned owl with head inverted. 

Fleshed skin with wings and legs inverted and skull cleaned. Large eyecups are cleaned and left in the skull.  The skin is washed and dried to get it ready to mount. 

Glass eyes set in eye cups.

Mounted Screech Owl with pins and cards to hold feathers in place. 

Finished Screech Owl mount with habitat.