The injured bird arrived at the Ada Foundation in Przemyśl animal clinic without its flight feathers, known as remiges, which are essential for flying and survival in the wild.
Without them, safe flight is impossible and natural regrowth would take months, leaving the owl unable to fend for itself.
The newly attached feathers will now enable the owl to fly normally, while its natural feathers continue to grow back over time.
Posting photos of the owl receiving its new feathers online, the clinic said: “To fly, you need wings.
“Losing flight feathers is often a death sentence. There is a solution for this.
“Transplantation saves lives. Today we help the tawny owl.”
The transplant procedure known as imping is an ancient practice that dates back centuries, with the first reference found in The Art of Falconry, a book by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who uses the Latin term imponere, meaning “to fix” or “to place upon,” to describe it.
Imping is performed by inserting a small ‘imping needle’ into both the shaft of the remaining part of the broken feather and the shaft of the new replacement, using adhesive to secure them together.
The new transplant will now reduce the time Genowefa would have spent in captivity, allowing the bird to return to its natural habitat within just a few days.
The Ada Foundation, known for its rehabilitation work with injured wildlife, said it has also established a “Feather Bank,” storing feathers from donor birds for similar procedures.
