Blinky, one of the most amazing animals in our wildlife refuge passed away. Blinky was just a simple Screech owl, seemingly plain and ordinary except for 2 things. First, she was a western screech Owl, (Megascops Kennicotti) as opposed to the local Eastern Screech owls (Megascops Asio.) Second, Blinky was an amazingly strong bird, surviving MUCH longer than expected. She not only survived, but thrived while outliving her expected lifespan by more than double. Blinky was an adult when found, and lived in captivity at least 22 years. The expected lifespan of a bird like her is 10-12 years! Blinky was a favorite of our volunteer, Helen, who made sure to care for her at each educational presentation. We will miss her, but in death, we hope she can see and fly free like she was never able to in life
