Experts say sightings of dozens of the majestic Arctic birds are unusual.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

By S.J. Velasquez

Contributing writer

If you think you saw a snowy owl that's the Harry Potter kind you could very
well be right.

Dozens of the majestic birds have been spotted across Central New York this
winter and have been seen more frequently across many northern states,
according to bird experts.

Snowy owls also have been spotted farther south, in states where they're
rarely seen. They've been sighted as far as Georgia and Alabama, where it's
been 22 years seen the bird was last seen.


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This year, the birds arrived earlier and in greater numbers than usual, said
John Ozard, a biologist at the New York state Department of Environmental
Conservation.

Ornithologists believe younger snowy owls head south to hunt when food
supplies are short and birds can't compete with older established birds up
north, said Kevin McGowan of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

"They're very cyclical," McGowan said. "One year you won't have any."

Last year, for example, no snowy owls were reported to the Onondaga Audubon
Society rare bird alert system.

McGowan's records indicate that the distinct white-plumed birds have been
making their way to the Syracuse area on and off since the mid-1800s.

The snowy owls are native to the Arctic tundra. They perch above open land
where they hunt rodents, particularly lemmings.

The owls are used to hunting in expansive open spaces without trees or
hills, so they tend to seek out fields and are frequently found near airport
runways.

Last week, a snowy owl was sighted at Syracuse's Hancock Airport. A city
Department of Aviation representative said the owls are sporadically sighted
at the airport, but they are not considered nuisances because they tend to
travel and hunt alone.

Joe Brin, who updates the Onondaga Audubon Society's rare bird alert, said
this winter owls have been frequently spotted in Fair Haven in Cayuga
County, Oswego Harbor and in southern Madison County.

Though Central New York is seeing its fair share of snowy owls this year,
Brin said there's no guarantee the owls will be as abundant in future years.


"If you see one, stop and take a picture, but don't harass it," he said. "If
it's in trouble, report it so it can be rehabilitated."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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