Hope this is kosher. Its not a picture but I saw it and figured I would share for folks in the chicago metro but also I assume this time period would apply to many places that far north or more in the US.
this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025
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For owls that are superb.
US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com
Australia Rescue Help: WIRES
Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org
If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
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This is really neat, wish it was closer to me!
even just knowing the time. going to keep an eye out near the forest preserves although with the snow I have a feeling it would be hard to actually notice one.
Look for all the photographers! 😂
Every year there are numerous postings and articles asking people to please not harass the Snowies, the locals, or park in random places on the road fighting for a spot.
Photographing a Snowy is a bucket list item for many, so there is always a frenzy during Snowy season and people suddenly forget all kinds of rules and basic manners.
Here's a brief article about what an irruption is. I don't think it's a term many of us are familiar with.
Here's what amounts to a TL;DR from the article, but it has some better details if you read the rest, and it touches on some of the irruptive owl species as well as some other irruptive birds.
While many people think of migration as a north-south or south-north phenomenon, irruptive species are nomadic with their movements linked to food supplies. Their migration can as likely be east or west. As a result the details of these nomadic movements vary from species to species and from year to year.
In some cases they involve nearly all the immature birds leaving the poorest territories, while in other cases virtually the entire population of a species may move. If they did not move they would suffer very high mortality rates. This may still occur if their travels bring them to areas which also lack sufficient food sources