The snowy owl is a great predator that is adapted to hunt lemmings in the frozen wilderness of the higharctic.
The shingled roofs and white chimneys of suburban Southern California were surprised by a snowy owl over the last few weeks.
What brought the owl to the city of Cypress, in Orange County, about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles, remains a mystery and the subject of passionate debate among the scores of bird watchers and curious neighbors who have come out to see the bird.
Nancy Caruso, a neighbor who has seen the owl, said it was amazing to see such an unusual bird in the streets.
Ms. Caruso said it was similar to seeing Santa Claus on a beach. It was like that out of place.
The bird seems to take off around 5 p.m. before coming back later, like a commuter, to its roost.
Joshua Lindsay, a general contractor who lives nearby, said that he is not a bird guy.
He said the owl had been hit by birds and would look over at them. Do you know what you're going to do?
During the winter time, snowy owls migrate from northern Canada to the Midwestern and northeastern United States. She said that some have been seen as far south as Texas. A person visited Central Park in January of 2021.
It was extremely rare to find one in Southern California.
It is possible that the owl flew thousands of miles to Orange County. She said it might have hit a ride on a ship from somewhere along the Canadian coast. Some people think that the bird may have been kept as an exotic pet.
It will be interesting to see how long this bird lasts. Will this bird be able to find enough food to survive?
She said snowy owls prefer airports where they can hunt smaller prey. The Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, a National Guard facility with an airfield, is only a few miles away from Cypress.
There is joy when the owl comes back.
Victor Leipzig is a past president of the local chapter of the Audubon Society and he said the most exciting thing for him is that the public is reacting so positively.
He said that there were people from the local neighborhood who were thrilled to see the bird and people who had traveled a long way to see it.
According to Scott Thomas, the raptor research chairman at the local Audubon chapter, the owl recently coughed up a pellet of bones and fur, a sign that it had found a small animal to eat.
There are dangers in the area, such as cars, rodents and airplanes. He said that at some point the most popular raptor in Cypress may head north.
Mr. Thomas said that people would continue to watch it. One day it will be gone.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
