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Tag: owls

  • Snowy Owls Flying South: Effects Of Cold Weather

    If you are a bird enthusiast, you may be excited to learn that snowy owls are making their way South due to cold weather. With many of the Northern great lakes frozen and their usual habitats becoming harder to hunt, the owls are traveling to warmer areas hoping for better conditions.

    According to the Great Backyard Bird Count, more than 2,500 snowy owls have being reported in 25 states and seven Canadian provinces. The Great Backyard Bird Count allows the public to have a hand in determining where birds are migrating, and can even teach scientists more about bird populations. The event takes place every year and last for four days.

    “When tens of thousands of participants around the world share what they’re seeing during the Great Backyard Bird Count, they help scientists achieve something that would otherwise be impossible — documenting where vast numbers of birds are, all across the world, in a very short period of time,” said Janis Dickinson, director of citizen science at the Cornell Lab in Ithaca.

    These birds usually live in the Arctic tundra, but with bird populations on the rise, the competition for food has become stronger than ever. The cold weather has caused the owls to move south in large numbers, but it is likely even more will be on their way soon.

    Snowy owls aren’t the only birds that were recorded during the count. Black birds, geese, ducks, and starlings were also reported in great numbers during the event. The migrating owl populations are so large that scientists think the owls may be on the verge of an invasion.

    Although the invasion will likely only last for a few weeks or until the owls’ natural habitat returns to a condition that better fits their needs, it is possible that the owls could adapt to a new environment and make their new southern home permanent.

    What do you think about the snowy owl invasion and the Great Backyard Bird Count?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Owl Attacks On The Rise In Missouri – But Why?

    Owls are normally docile creatures unless they feel threatened or feel the need to protect their young. In Missouri, owl attacks have been happening pretty often and many people are wondering why? Local news stations have received several reports of owl attacks. The strange thing is that the owls aren’t being provoked and appear to be attacking for no reason.

    Animals seldom attack for no reason and it is not clear if there is more than one owl responsible for the attacks. One animal expert believes that the attacks may be happening because the owl or owls feel threatened. People can wander upon nests and not even know it. If the owl sees you before you see it or the nest, it may seem like the attack came out of nowhere.

    Springfield Nature Center naturalist Kim Banner told KSPR, “They’re going to be protecting territories and protecting nests and they just tend to get more aggressive this time of year however the Great Horned Owl has been known to attack people for no apparent reason.”

    Attacks have been reported in several different locations, including Houlihan’s, Target, and the YMCA in Springfield, Missouri. The owls don’t seem to discriminate by age or sex and have attacked men, women and children over the last few days.

    One ten year old boy recalled his attack saying, “He just flew down, acted like he was going to curve off that way, but then he just like darted straight at my head, and he got my hair.”

    The Missouri Department of Conservation says it is breeding season for great horned owls, and they often protect their territory.

    Until the owl or owls can be caught and transferred to a safe environment, officials are warning the residents of Springfield to stay alert and avoid any contact with owls.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.