A snowy owl has been spotted in New York's Central Park for the first time in 130 years, leaving wildlife enthusiasts and bird-spotters exhilarated. The bird was initially reported online by David Barrett who runs the popular twitter account 'Manhattan Bird Alert', an account which follows birds in New York.
The account soon released a video that an individual had captured of the beautiful white bird, in which it could be seen quietly sitting on the ground. It certainly didn't seem to be in any fear or distress.
Yesterday's SNOWY OWL in the Central Park North Meadow, a once-in-a-lifetime sight. pic.twitter.com/SaCpWJbAIX
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) January 28, 2021
Barrett said of the visitor:
"Yesterday's snow and cold to our north likely encouraged this SNOWY OWL to fly south in search of better hunting conditions. These owls like flat lands and beaches, so the Central Park North Meadow, flat and with sand-filled fields, might have appealed."
Yesterday's snow and cold to our north likely encouraged this SNOWY OWL to fly south in search of better hunting conditions. These owls like flat lands and beaches, so the Central Park North Meadow, flat and with sand-filled fields, might have appealed.
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) January 27, 2021
While some believed the sighting was due to the pandemic and fall in air-travel, experts say this is likely not the case as snowy owls have previously been spotted on Governor's Island in New York and in New York Harbour near Brooklyn. Though it is perhaps because there was less on-ground activity that the owl felt safe to land.
Snowy Owl was the center of attention today in Central Park and ready to play ball.. ⚾️ Thanks @BirdCentralPark for the alerts. #birdcp #WildlifeWednesday #birding Big thanks @gigi_nyc for messaging me and @VenusNabs pic.twitter.com/p42QG7ve1d
— RosEspinosa Quinto (@mitzgami) January 28, 2021
Snowy owls are normally found in the very cold climate of the Arctic, which includes a significant area within Canada. It will almost certainly have been from Canada that the Central Park snowy owl migrated from. Unlike most types of owls that hunt at night and sleep during the day, the snowy owl sleeps at night and hunts during the day, usually for small rodents, in particular the lemmings which populate the Arctic tundra. Snowy owls are known however to eat other small birds.
The snowy owl is large in size, being the largest avian predator of the High Arctic and one of the largest owl species in the world, with some birds weighing almost 2 kg (4.4 lbs).
Largely nomadic, the birds move from place to place in order to hunt and to breed, often traversing great distances. Due to the fact that snowy owls are so secluded, it has been difficult for scientists and researchers to accurately work out how many are living in the wild. At present, the best estimation is under 100,000 snowy owls living worldwide and fewer than 28,000 breeding pairs, leading to the owl being given the conservation designation of 'vulnerable'.
[h/t: Good News Network]
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