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Bird-wise, it’s been a pretty exciting week here in the Big Apple! In an extraordinary occurrence and much to the delight of nature-deprived city dwellers, on Wednesday, a strikingly beautiful snowy owl flaunted its feathered finery in Manhattan’s Central Park. For a wild creature not accustomed to a flock of camera-wielding humans, the lone owl appeared to maintain an unruffled bird-i-tude despite all of the additional attention.
Why the unusual NYC stopover this particular January? Although some snowy owls spend the entire year on their breeding grounds in the treeless Arctic tundra, others migrate to southern Canada and the northern United States in winter, sometimes traveling as far south as Texas, Florida, and the Carolinas. While New York State is within the avian predators’ normal fly zone, they typically bypass Manhattan. According to Cornell University and Scientific Reports, during migration, snowy owls are most often found in agricultural fields, and along shorelines of oceans and lakes. What the birds look for in a home away from home is owl chow—primarily, small rodents. The large owls may eat more than 1,600 lemmings a year—about 4.5 a day, in addition to other rodents, rabbits, birds, and fish. During seasonal migration, snowy owls follow food resources, adjusting their flight trajectory based on environmental conditions to arrive back in the Arctic at the right time for successful breeding. Because rodents cluster together under snow, the owls may prefer to hunt over snow-covered terrain, although they can also locate prey in snow-free areas.
Well, we did have a dusting of snow here on Wednesday. Plus, the Central Park ball fields make for an appealing, tundra-esque landing site. And when it comes to rodents, yeah, we can certainly help out with those. Whatever the specific reason for the park pit stop, this owl lover was glad to have the feathered fellow nearby and hope it swoops in again at its earliest convenience! FYOI (for your owl information), we’re expecting snow again on Monday—fingers crossed for a return visit. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, New Yorkers!
To learn more about the snowy owl, we highly recommend the beautifully photographed, aptly named Snowy Owl by Paul Bannick. If you’d like to live an owl-friendly life, and who wouldn’t, the International Owl Center offers some useful tips to help welcome and protect the beloved birds. And to receive alerts for all rare bird species in your area, be sure to sign up for notifications from eBird. Happy birdwatching!
