A snowy owl takes flight at Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve, Arcadia, Mich. Photo: Carl Freeman
By Emily Cook
As we watch the winter landscape become more monochromatic, it is also time to focus our eyes on the special winter visitors who may be hiding in plain sight.
Snowy owls spend many months of the year, including their breeding season, in the northernmost reaches of our continent, usually preferring to nest all the way into the arctic tundra and Greenland. (Their range also includes northern Scandinavia and Russia.) Their nesting-site preference is almost exclusively dictated by the prevalence of brown lemmings, their primary food source. If the lemming population fluctuates, so does the number of snowy owl nests. It’s an inextricably linked predator-and-prey relationship.
Come winter, however, the snowy owl will migrate south, including into northern Michigan, in search of more and different food sources. Considering they prefer wide-open fields and shorelines and are North America’s largest owl, weighing in at a whopping four pounds, it’s not out of the question to spot one during the cold months in our region. You just need to know what to look for, as they are wonderfully camouflaged for a reason. Still, one thing does work in the birdwatcher’s favor. Snowy owls are one of only a handful of owl species that are diurnal, meaning they are active during the daylight hours, too.
Many people are familiar with the general attributes that identify a snowy owl: a large, white, speckled bird with bright yellow eyes. Those qualities are relatively easy to memorize in the bird world. One can go even further to narrow down male versus female and immature versus mature. Carl Freeman ⸺ local photographer, artist, naturalist, and avid birder ⸺ contributed some additional I.D. notes, (along with his recent images of local “snowies”).
“The opinion that birds entirely white are male is probably not right,” he shared. “Like raptors, there is a big size difference between males (small) and females (large). Additionally, juveniles typically have darker speckles covering their body and wings.”
If you find yourself in a potential snowy owl habitat, use your binoculars to scan for any oddities in the landscape. They often sit on the ground, and remember, they could be facing away from you. They also like to perch on high points that allow them to have a broader vantage. Look at telephone poles, fence posts, the peaks of a barn roof, or even atop hay-bale remnants.
Locally, snowy owls have been spotted in the fields of Arcadia Dunes’ preserves, including on the ice of the marsh and perched on area farm equipment. Elsewhere in Manistee County, it is not uncommon to see them at the fairgrounds in Onekama or scouring the shoreline from the North Pier at Fifth Avenue Beach. They follow the food ⸺ small rodents, birds and even rabbits ⸺ and will readily change locations as needed.
Thick feathers contributing to their hefty weight keep the owls warm during Michigan’s cold winters, but come March they will once again venture north to begin another nesting season.
“Snowies that are here outside of ‘normal’ times, including several from my photos, are most likely not well and should not be encroached upon,” Freeman explained. “They are here when they should be in the arctic because they are malnourished or sick. They might be here when they can’t find enough food further north.”
This is sound advice regarding approaching any wildlife, not just snow owls. Enjoying and appreciating these animals is wonderful, but respecting their space should always be the priority. Luckily, some of the best viewing happens from inside your warm car, with binoculars against the window.
Emily Cook is a resident of Arcadia, where she lives with her husband and two collies. She is a conservationist by training and a writer and artist when time allows. She explores nearby nature trails and the Lake Michigan beach as much as possible.
Read more about this striking owl in “Captivated by ‘Snowies’” by Susan Hintz, Freshwater Reporter, January 2020, found HERE.
