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 Sightings of the majestic raptors, popularized by the owl Hedwig in
author J.K. Rowling's fantasies and the films based on them, could
eclipse last season's record when the final tally is in, according
to preliminary data from the society's 115th Christmas bird count.
The society is not expected to release the total until June. It
needs to analyze data from an estimated 2,400 counting sessions by
teams of volunteers from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. The countings took place
in North, Central and South America, the Caribbean and some South
Pacific islands.
As of Wednesday, with just a fifth of the counting sessions totaled,
there were 303 of the enormous white birds sighted, Geoff LeBaron,
the project leader, said on Wednesday.
Last year's final tally was 1,117 snowy owls, or nearly double the
previous high of 563 from the 2011 count, he said.
"This is a big flight," LeBaron said, noting the birds' epicenter
seems to be southern Ontario, the Great Lakes and the U.S.
Northeast.
It may be the fourth year in a row with a high number of snowy owls,
he said. "It probably won’t quite reach the level of the one last
season or in 2011. But you never know."
Snowy owls breed in the Arctic, where they eat lemmings along with
the occasional rabbit, rodent, fish and even fellow birds. Because
they typically travel only in search of food, they are rarely seen
outside the Arctic, LeBaron said.
"They don't usually come down this far. When they do, it's a real
treat," LeBaron said.
Bird experts are not certain why the sightings are more numerous or
if they are connected to climate change, LeBaron said.
"People just adore them," he said, adding their popularity among
amateur photographers sometimes poses a threat to the animals.
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"When people harass them, it's to the detriment of the birds. It can
cause them to spend more energy and push them over the edge. If they
are starving already, it can cause them to starve to death," LeBaron
said.
The birds' natural habitats also can take a beating from crazed fans
intent on getting a closeup - especially when they trample fragile
dunes like those in New Jersey's Island Beach State Park, where
snowy owls have been sighted.
Wildlife officials issued a Facebook plea for bird lovers to stay
off the Jersey Shore dunes, located about 80 miles (129 km)
southeast of New York City.
"There were no arrests but we just had to ward off some people.
Everyone with a cell phone camera wanted to come down to see the
snowy owls," said Larry Ragonese, spokesman for the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection.
(Editing by Frank McGurty, Cynthia Osterman and Bill Trott)
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