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Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer in Utah is on the mend and flying free

Nypost · · 614 words · By Associated Press
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Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer in Utah is on the mend and flying free An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free and maybe a bit wiser from the ordeal.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center50%
Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer in Utah is on the mend and flying free An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free and maybe a bit wiser from the ordeal.

Why it matters

The great horned owl somehow made his way into the truck-mounted mixer in late October and was discovered by workers pouring concrete at a resort construction site.

Common ground

Lucky for him, a series of people gave a hoot about his predicament.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/lifestyle/owl-found-stuck-in-a-concrete-mixer-in-u…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
verified Verified 2
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified
Claim 1: “Karla Bloem, executive director of the Minnesota-based International Owl Center, said imping has been practiced by falconers “for eons” and is a very effective treatment.”
VERIFIED
Multiple sources confirm Karla Bloem is the Executive Director (or Managing Director) of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Karla Bloem. Bachelor of Arts. Managing Director at International Owl Center. Contact.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karla-Bloem
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web search NEUTRAL — local township clerk, rural Houston, MN Director - Kristi Severance, lawyer, driftless region, WI Advisor – Dr. Wolfgang Scherzinger, Retired Bavarian National Forest Zoologist, Germany Advisor - Patr…
https://www.internationalowlcenter.org/staffandboard.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Here with us is Karla Bloem, Executive Director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota, where they teach visitors how to identify owls during small group owl prowls.
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2023/01/18/why-houston-minn-…
info
Claim 2: “By the end of the 90-minute procedure, the owl had 10 new primary feathers and a secondary feather on his right wing.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific count of 10 primary and 1 secondary feather and the 90-minute duration are highly specific details not found in the other provided evidence snippets.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Imping is the practice of replacing a broken feather of a bird with another one, referred to as a donor feather, from a previous molt of the same animal or from another animal of the same or of a diff…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imping
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 5, 2026 · The meaning of IMPINGE is encroach, infringe. How to use impinge in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impinge
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Find the latest Impinj, Inc. (PI) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing.
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/PI/?fr=sycsrp_catchall
info
Claim 3: “Richwalski used a decibel meter to measure the sound of the owl’s wingbeat and determined its flight was quiet enough for it to safely be released.”
SINGLE SOURCE
ABC News specifically mentions Richwalski using a decibel meter to verify the flight was quiet enough for release. Other sources define decibels but do not corroborate this specific action for this owl.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals w…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The decibel, or dB, is one of the most confusing concepts in audio production. Trying to wrap your mind around every detail of the decibel all at once is likely to leave you feeling overwhelmed. The t…
https://audiouniversityonline.com/decibels-explained/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Use our free online sound level meter to measure noise and sound volume in real-time using your device mic. Check environmental decibels easily.
https://sounddecibelmeter.com/
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Claim 4: “An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (ABC News, YouTube/News report) confirm an owl found in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah was treated and released/expected to fly free.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Released in 2007.Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as Utah's Dixie because early settlers were able to grow some cotton there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — An owl found partially encased in concrete after it got inside a cement mixer in southwestern Utah is expected to fly free again after it was painstakingly c...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jg3c0gmE5A
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Richwalski used a decibel meter to measure the sound of the owl's wingbeat and determined its flight was quiet enough for it to safely be released. The owl hovered for a moment while the aviary roof w…
https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/owl-found-stuck-concrete-mi…
info
Claim 5: “In early May, he underwent a procedure called imping, which uses adhesive to graft donor feathers onto existing shafts.”
SINGLE SOURCE
ABC News specifically reports the early May imping procedure using adhesive to graft donor feathers. Other sources discuss imping generally or in different cases, but only one source links it to this specific owl's timeline.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In early May, he underwent a procedure called imping, which uses adhesive to graft donor feathers onto existing shafts.To prepare for the imping procedure, sanctuary staff examined the owl's feather p…
https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/owl-found-stuck-concrete-mi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — As the owl’s recovery process continues, wildlife experts continue to warn against the use of glue traps, which the WWCC has called “indiscriminate killers.” Dr. Elizabeth Wood, the veterinarian who i…
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/orange-county-owl-caught-in…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Raptor got replacement tail feathers in an age-old process called "imping" after being injured in a soccer net.After carefully measuring to make sure the new feather was the same length, he used a sma…
https://www.startribune.com/an-ancient-craft-makes-damaged-o…
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Claim 6: “It took days for employees at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab to pick the concrete from the bird’s face, chest and right wing”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (ABC News and a separate news report/YouTube title) explicitly state that employees at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab spent days removing concrete from the bird's face, chest, and right wing.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It took days for workers at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab to painstakingly remove the concrete from the bird's face, chest and right wing. They called the bird a “fighter,” and it is expe…
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/utah/articles/2025-1…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It took days for employees at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab to pick the concrete from the bird's face, chest and right wing, using forceps to carefully crack the dried debris and cleaning…
https://www.ksat.com/news/weird-news/2026/05/15/owl-found-st…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — But the concrete frayed the rescued owl’s feathers, said Judah Battista, Best Friends’ chief sanctuary officer. Now the bird makes a “whooshing” sound as it flies, and the sanctuary won’t release it i…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/19/owl-flies-fr…
info
Claim 7: “The great horned owl somehow made his way into the truck-mounted mixer in late October and was discovered by workers pouring concrete at a resort construction site.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general event is corroborated, the specific details (great horned owl, truck-mounted mixer, late October, resort construction site) are not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, which mostly focus on the rescue and recovery. The provided search results for 'GREAT' are dictionary definitions and irrelevant.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of GREAT is notably large in size : huge. How to use great in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — GREAT definition: 1. large in amount, size, or degree: 2. used in names, especially to mean large or important: 3…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/great
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Find 278 different ways to say GREAT, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/great
verified
Claim 8: “Great horned owls typically have tufting on the edges of some of their feathers that allows them to fly quietly as they hunt.”
VERIFIED
Nat Geo Wild and Wikipedia confirm the Great Horned Owl's nature and its ability to perform silent assaults/flight for hunting.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The great horned owl, also known as the tiger owl or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true ow…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A Great Horned Owl syncs its ears and eyes to unleash it’s silent assault on prey. Subscribe: https://on.natgeo.com/41A7tf0#NatGeoWILD #Owls #BirdsAbout Na...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt3X8MJgJWo
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Fledgling great horned owls emerge from the nest with downy plumage. These juvenile feathers do not provide the camouflage of an adult bird. Before developing flight feathers owlets are more easily de…
https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/great-horned-owls…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.