Northern States See Rare Invasion of Snowy Owls
Snowy owl at the outlet of Irondequoit Bay, near Rochester, New York, December 10, 2011. Video: Chris Wood
Every four or five years large numbers of snowy owls, those majestic white birds that haunt the Arctic tundra, migrate south and invade the northern United States. It’s happening right now—big time.
“Already we can see that this year is one of the biggest irruption years ever for snowy owl,” says Chris Wood, a Cornell University ornithologist and the project leader for Cornell and Audubon’s eBird, an online database of avian observations.
Through eBird, people around the country are reporting snowy owl sightings. Mapping those data points reveals a flurry of snowies in the Great Lakes region, with smaller numbers of birds being spotted from Washington to Maine, and south as far as Oklahoma and Hawaii.
Darker colors indicate higher frequency. Click on map for larger version.
At least a few snowy owls appear south of the Canadian border each winter, says Kenn Kaufman, bird expert and Audubon field editor. “For example, there are always some wintering at Boston's Logan Airport, which superficially mimics the appearance of coastal tundra in the Arctic.” But “this is an exceptional season for snowy owls,” he says. Kaufman suspects that there are more individual owls on the Great Plains than around the Great Lakes, but a lower percentage of them are being reported because they’re never seen. “There’s just a lot of good habitat out there that isn’t close to any roads.”
The search for food drives the birds—mostly young owls—south. Snowies subsist mainly on rodents, primarily lemmings, throughout the frigid winter months in the far North. Irruptions are typically thought to occur when lemming populations crash. Curiously, that doesn’t appear to be the case this year, writes Sam Galick, eBird data reviewer:
| Arctic researchers suggest an interesting twist, however, that the lemmings this year were at historical population highs allowing for a very successful breeding season for Arctic raptors, including Snowy Owls. The resulting population boom causes overcrowding and competition at typical wintering grounds pushing inexperienced birds farther south into the Lower 48. In years when Snowy Owls irrupt, watch for Rough-legged Hawks too—their similar prey choices could create similar patterns of occurrence. |
Wood emphasizes the importance of entering sightings into eBird. Each one, he says, is like a puzzle piece. “The idea behind eBird is that by bringing these puzzle pieces together, we can get for what that entire puzzle looks like—in this case to try to understand how and why Snowy Owls are moving south,” Wood says. “It will be very interesting to see how the winter unfolds, something that will be made much easier if people enter their observations into eBird—even when they don't see a snowy owl.”
To catch a glimpse of the magnificent birds, Wood suggests checking harbors and rocky piers around the Great Lakes, and checking grasslands and reservoir edges on the Great Plains.
Kaufman urges anyone who does see a snowy owl to enjoy it from afar. “The birds that come farthest south tend to be the young birds. These inexperienced birds are often hungry and stressed, and we should encourage people to enjoy them from a distance, not to pursue them for closer looks or photos.”
So make sure to grab your binoculars before you head out. If you do spot a snowy owl, we’d love for you to share your story in the Comments section below. I’ve only ever seen one, in June 2009 on the tundra just outside of Dead Horse, Alaska. Its bright white feathers were impossible to miss against the green-brown grasses. Even now, it’s still thrilling to think back on it.
Comments
The article seems to suggest
The article seems to suggest that snowy owls are flying to Hawaii from the North American continent. Although I believe the report that confirms that one of these animals was killed by a wildlife official at the Honolulu Airport in November 2011, I doubt that this owl had flown such a distance across the Pacific Ocean under its own power.
I saw a Snowy Owl about
I saw a Snowy Owl about three weeks ago. I live on White River on the far north side of Indianapolis, IN. We are a designated 'Greenway' and the land around us is a designated wetland. It flew upriver past my house and turned west over the sycamores on the opposite bank. We have 2 Bald Eagles here too, I don't know how long they did or would allow the Snowy to stay. I've seen them harass the Great Horned Owl before.
Some of us in West Michigan
Some of us in West Michigan have been enjoying visits from Snowy Owls near Muskegon, Michigan. This is my first time witnessing them in the wild as well. Easily the most beautiful bird I've ever seen!
Here are a few of my images, posted on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stacyn/sets/72157628153697725
Such magnificent creatures
Such magnificent creatures and so large! While living on the old family homestead on the shores of Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin, we had one alight on the windmill one moonlit evening. It was incredible to see him there, 50ft up in the air and watching as we went out several times to see if he were still there. Since then, I had occasion to be able to use above average binoculars and finally decided that seeing clear, detailed views of birds was much more fun than I'd been able to recognize with cheap, discount-store binoculars. This year I bought 10X42 Swarovski EL Binoculars with Swarovision and they're even better than the other ones, very good ones, by the way, that had sold me on the idea! I'm soooo glad I took Wayne Mones' advice on them from his blog on this web site! ! !
I saw two Snowy Owls on 4
I saw two Snowy Owls on 4 Dec 2011 in Harrison Twp, Michigan. They have been hangng out on this narrow peninsular area for more than a month. I feel so fortunate that my visit to Michigan coincided with the irruption. Great timing on my part to see these stunning birds. Here are a few pix of one of the Snowies:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30859363@N03/6463055777/in/photostream/
We had the opportunity this
We had the opportunity this summer to see 3 snowy owls 2 of which were seen spiraling downward in a mating ritual. We recently moved to a more rural setting and have loved viewing all the unusual birds. We live in Fairield Ca which is in the Bay Area of CA.
Where did you go to see the
Where did you go to see the Snowy Owls? I would love to go. Thanks.
Jean
I saw a snowy yesterday on
I saw a snowy yesterday on my drive through central South Dakota; she was perched on a telephone pole just west of Pierre, SD. She was beautiful!
Just north of the Canadian
Just north of the Canadian border there is a good population. On Wednesday, we saw 19 along the shores of Boundary Bay in Delta, BC. Local reports of up to 29 birds seen at one area. This is an area they regularly winter in years they come south. First time we've seen them, just 45 minutes from where we live. Very special birds. We also saw short eared owls and Northern Harriers in the same area. We were happy to have good binoculars!
Thanks for sharing your
Thanks for sharing your wonderful stories! If anyone would like to share photos, feel free to post them to our Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/audubonmagazine/.
Saw my first snowy on a
Saw my first snowy on a chilly day in November right before Thanksgiving. I went along with my son and sister, in our quest. We only had to travel about an hour from our home in Bucks County PA. Other birders steered us to the best vantage point to find her. The view of this lovely bird on a rocky backdrop was awe inspiring. We took pictures from a distance (the beauty of digital photos..). An early Christmas for me - I will never forget my first snowy owl.
There have been 4 - 5 birds
There have been 4 - 5 birds sighted in the area of Lewiston, Id., Clarkston, Wa in the past month. I managed to finally get a good look at one last week. What a magnificent bird!
I've gotten two Snowies this
I've gotten two Snowies this month here in Michigan, both along the Lake Huron coast. The second one was obviously a youngster, more brown than white from the neck down. The first one, my lifer, was a nearly pure white owl - presumably an adult.
During the CBC I learned
During the CBC I learned that there are several Snowy Owls currently in the Stanwood, WA area. I went looking and saw three of them. Beautiful...and a first for me.
There have been several
There have been several sightings -- and magnificent photos -- from the Brattleboro, Vermont area, as well as a few along the eastern edge of Lake Champlain. A friend and I were lucky enough to see one from a distance, just at dusk, in a tree along one of the river branches in Brattleboro, and my friend saw one closer up a day or two before that in the same area.
Absolutely beautiful! What a
Absolutely beautiful! What a gift! May they live long and free.
I recently thought I saw one
I recently thought I saw one in West Caldwell, NJ but people thought they do not come so far south. I saw it again fly about 10 feet over my head at dusk and know it was one. Glad I saw this article to show it to friends.
where in West Caldwell did
where in West Caldwell did you see this owl? I live in West Orange and am anxious to spot one, so I thought I might do a little watching where you had seen one.
Liz
This week I heard about a
This week I heard about a snowy owl at Smithville Lake in north western Missouri so took the afternoon off from work and made a pilgrimage. In the sleet, rain and wind I found him on the lake shore. My first and an outstanding sight!
I feel blessed to have seen
I feel blessed to have seen a breathtakingly beautiful Snowy Owl recently in Chicago.
(I have photographs, if you are interested. I can't find a link to attach photos.)
Here's a link for pix:
Here's a link for pix: http://www.flickr.com/groups/audubonmagazine/
Cool - I have never a snowy
Cool - I have never a snowy owl before, maybe this is the year! I live in MA and I'm right across the street from a 150-acre field, which I imagine would be prime habitat. I'll probably be spending more time there this winter after reading this!