Our visiting snowy owl seems to like the North Carolina coast.
Snowy owls, the largest of the North American owls, generally live in the far north near the North Pole, and winter in southern Canada and the northern United States. About every four years they travel south well outside their normal range in a phenomena called “irruption,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says.
For reasons not understood, snowy owls have been “irrupting” more often in recent years. In fact, a few spent several winters on Ocracoke Island and were spotted around Cape Hatteras between 2014 and 2017, with their time here well documented by the the Ocracoke Observer.
Since their normal range is far north and there are far fewer people living nearby, the snowy owl isn’t really used to seeing us. But humans flock for a rare sighting of the beautiful white bird when one is around. We, however, need to give the owl distance and respect.
Note: If you search for this owl, keep a distance so as not to spook it causing it to fly away. These photos were taken with a long lens.
Related stories:
- UPDATED with VIDEO: Rare winter visitor: Snowy owl makes a stop on the Outer Banks
- Famed snowy owl makes a visit to Ocracoke
- Snowy owl photographed at Cape Lookout National Seashore
