This Is A Baby Owl Burrito

Long walks in the woods allow time for deep contemplation. You look up through the canopy of green and into the clear blue sky and wonder. How is it so beautiful? So blue? Your reverie is interrupted by the flutter of a wing, the rustle of leaves, and the yelp of a little bird. It is an owl. You look down at the tiny, beautiful thing as it tries to flap its broken wing and think, Is it a large baby or a small adult? How much could it weigh? And, how much do owls weigh anyway?

There is only one way to find out, and that's by wrapping it in a colorful towel and putting it on a scale, grocery-store style. That is what's going on in this photo of a saw-whet owl (with a broken wing) at the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center. Vets wrap owls up like little super burritos to protect themselves from the birds' sharp talons and strong wings. And, maybe because it's cute. (No, definitely because it's cute.)

But, how much does it weigh? According to the scale, this one clocks in at 92 grams — or .2 pounds. Go into the woods and think about that. (Gizmodo)