A phenomenon that few people get a chance to witness is occurring in our area during this extra cold winter season. That phenomenon is the Snowy Owl Invasion from the Arctic Regions.

Thousands of these magnificent birds are entering our region from as far away as the Eastern Arctic and Greenland. They have shown up in great numbers along the eastern coastal U.S. and Great Lake Regions but also have begun to make appearances close to our area.

Sightings this week have been reported in Mercer County off of Billy Boyd Road which is off Route 358 near Lake Wilhelm, In Erie on Presque Isle near Gull Point & Fairview, and in Lawrence County near the Green Meadows Golf Course off of Route 19 North.

With as many sightings around Butler County I have no doubt that these beautiful birds of prey are in our area as well.

Pennsylvania is in the middle of all this action and over 33 counties have reported sightings.

Snowy Owls are fierce predators and they will consume about any seabird, rodent or ptarmigan that it can catch.

A single owl can eat nearly 2,000 rodents in a year’s time.

The Snowy Owl is North Americas’ largest owl with a wing span of over four feet.

It compares in size to a Great Horned Owl but is generally heavier.

They stand at a height of over two feet tall and are diurnal hunters, meaning they seek prey at all hours of day and night. Male Snowy Owls are barred with dark brown when they are young and get whiter as they get older. The most famous Snowy Owl for kids to relate to is Harry Potter’s pet owl Hedwig! However, that’s the movies and Snowy Owls are protected birds and are not to be disturbed I any manner.

The invasion of the Snowy Owl is not an Alfred Hitchcock type movie but rather the result of a hypothetical variation in their cyclical prey and predator populations in the Arctic.

Snowy Owls and other predators have cyclical populations linked to prey abundance. Scientists believe that Lemming population cycles likely drive much of the survivorship and breeding success of Snowy Owls.

We know Snowy Owls will skip breeding seasons when prey is scarce and may produce large clutches of eggs when prey is abundant. These birds are strong flyers and will also travel hundreds of miles in the summer season in the Arctic. Couple this with high breeding productivity you can have the immature birds invading lands to their south coupled with lemming scarcity.

The Snowy Owl prefers open grasslands and shore areas as their habitat.

They are often found in strip land areas, open fields, airports and along frozen lake shorelines. They can often be seen sitting on the ground on hill tops, dunes and ice edges.

When they cannot find lemmings, voles and mice they will seek out shorebirds and open water ducks where they fly out over the open waters at dusk seeking rafts of ducks. Climate changes in sea ice availability can play a role in the Snowy Owl hunting ducks as they migrate or move closer or further from the ice edges. Often times they are drawn to airports due to the open areas that appeal to the Snowy Owl.

A controversial killing of Snowy Owls by the NY Port Authority was widely covered by the media. The perceived risk to airplanes was their reason for exterminating these owls. Fortunately, a better model was put in place at Boston’s Logan Airport and the practice was stopped in NY.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon and National Science Foundation are among the sponsors of the Snowy Owl Watch. Our own PGC has an active role in the development of Pennsylvania eBird and welcomes would be ornithologists to actively participate in their bird counts and watches in all 67 counties of the Commonwealth.

For more information on the Snowy Owl Invasion check out the PGC website, the Pennsylvania eBird portal and the above mentioned sponsors.

There are some great photos and much more detailed information on our visitor from the Arctic.

Be the first person in your area to spot the Snowy Owl and help track it with the Pennsylvania eBird portal.

Until we meet again keep your field glasses handy and head out for an outdoor adventure of a lifetime!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.