A snowy owl was sighted swooping into Shirley Chisholm State Park over the holiday weekend, marking its first appearance in New York City in years. This rare sighting attracted many curious photographers, birders, and wildlife enthusiasts to the Fountain Avenue side of the Brooklyn nature preserve in hopes of catching a glimpse of the majestic yellow-eyed bird.
Described as one of the most beautiful and distinct owls globally, the snowy owl is often associated with Harry Potter’s owl, Hedwig. According to David Barrett, a birder and founder of Manhattan Bird Alert, this sighting is quite uncommon in New York City and usually occurs in the middle of winter. The predominantly polar white owl was first spotted late Saturday afternoon, with the last significant sighting reported in 2022.
Barrett explained that this year’s visit is part of a snowy owl irruption, stemming from a successful breeding season, leading to an unpredictable migration pattern. Despite an earlier sighting on a floating barge in Bay Ridge, the owl had moved on by the time reports surfaced. This recent sighting is particularly significant given the lack of snowy owl irruptions in the area over the past two years.
The snowy owl seen in Brooklyn is believed to be a first-year bird hatched this summer, having traveled over 1,000 miles before reaching the city. With the entire North American population estimated to be less than 30,000, and only a fraction migrating long distances each year, the presence of this owl in New York City is indeed unusual.
Shirley Chisholm State Park provides an ideal habitat for snowy owls, offering flat terrain with abundant prey like rats, which the owls easily transition to hunting from their usual lemming diet in the Arctic tundra. The sighting of the owl has drawn birders like Gus Keri to the park, where he described the experience of seeing the owl as almost spiritual and expressed his fascination with this particular species.
“I am thrilled and excited to share my joy with everyone. It was truly an incredible experience.” At around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, the snowy owl suddenly left its perch in the park, possibly sensing the scrutiny of onlookers. Birdwatchers observed the owl taking flight towards the Atlantic Ocean before landing on an undisclosed island in the bay. The owl was still visible to some extent on the small island on Monday morning. There is a chance that the owl may decide to stay in New York City for the winter. Other sightings of snowy owls could also occur until March when they begin their journey back to the Arctic. “They return – birds have the ability to fly, so it’s always a surprise,” Berry remarked.
