I’ve always been fascinated by owls ever since I was a child. I recall a vivid memory from my youth, driving my father’s Buick Skylark down the Hartwood Club Road in Forestburgh, NY when I was 16 years old and first had my learner’s permit to drive a car. My parents would teach me to drive by letting me practice on such roads back in the woods.

We were riding along and suddenly a ruffed grouse flew across the road. Behind it came a great horned owl with its talons outstretched. The owl grabbed that grouse in mid-flight just a few yards in front of the car. What an awesome sight!

It seems like we are having a real winter again this year. Talk abounds of the next polar vortex. There is 8-10 inches of ice on the local lakes and ponds, and we are able to ice fish and hold contests again for the first time in three years.

Having a real winter also means that snowy owls are coming down from Canada to our area. There was even one spotted in the Shirley Chisholm Park in Brooklyn a month ago. What magnificent birds, with their piercing yellow eyes. They are one of my favorite owls although I’ve only seen them maybe a dozen times here in the wild.

Snowy owls migrate south when food is scarce in their normal habitats. Some years a phenomenon occurs called an irruption, when large numbers of owls come down. These irruptions are sometimes due to a large number of young owls causing a surge in the population that is competing for food.

Here are a few interesting facts about snowy owls. They are one of the heaviest owl species in North America because of the large number of feathers that they have for insulation in the arctic climates. Unlike many other owls, their feet are covered with feathers to help keep them warm. Snowy owls tend to perch much lower in trees than other birds of prey, so look for them closer to the ground.

Snowy owls have wingspans of up to 55 inches. Their wings are covered in lax plumage (downy, wispy feathers) that makes them silent when they fly so that they can sneak up on prey. Snowy owls are one of the few owl species that are diurnal (meaning that they hunt both day and night) instead of being only nocturnal.

Hopefully I’ve piqued everyone’s interest in these beautiful birds. A good source of more information is Project SNOWstorm. Check out their website. 

Take a moment to scout the trees and fields for snowy owls this winter while you enjoy the outdoors!

John S. Van etten is the current president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.