Unexpected Guests

Birdwatchers in Rhode Island have had a thrill this winter - a visit from a snowy owl that's been hanging out for a month or more in a wildlife refuge in Middletown.  Snowy owls are arctic tundra inhabitants and having one this far south is unusual. Snowy owls are impressive birds and can be almost 30 inches long and have a wingspan of over 50 inches.  Females and youngsters have brown barring while the male is almost pure white, getting whiter as it gets older.

Source:  Wikipedia

If you're thinking this bird looks familiar, it may be because Harry Potter's Hedwig was a snowy owl!  In the wild, snowy owls' diet consists of rodents like voles and mice during the breeding season, although lemmings make up the majority of their diet.  However, rabbits, squirrels, smaller birds, fish, raccoons, and other mammals can be on the menu during the winter.  The snowy owl in Middletown favors a rocky outcropping near the ocean - a fine place to feast on fish and shore birds.

While a rare visitor to Rhode Island, snowy owls have been seen regularly near Boston's Logan Airport for years.  Evidently the area around the airport reminds them of home!  For the past ten years many snowy owls have been captured around the airport, banded and relocated.  Some are fitted with radio transmitters so they can be tracked.  You can read more about the Snowy Owl Telemetry Research Project here.

Source:  Owl Pictures

This year not only have snowy owls been seen in Rhode Island, but many other states as well, a major migratory event.  It is believed that the mild winter has precipitated an extremely successful breeding year and that more youngsters than normal have survived (owlets normally average about a 50% survival rate), and being very territorial the adult owls have driven the younger ones further south.

Whatever the reason, birdwatchers in the northern 48 are glad to see these gorgeous birds.  To see videos, click here and here.