{"id":403096,"date":"2025-11-25T07:25:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/403096\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T07:25:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:25:13","slug":"a-pair-of-snowy-owls-spotted-along-lake-michigan-beach-draws-crowds-in-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/403096\/","title":{"rendered":"A pair of snowy owls spotted along Lake Michigan beach draws crowds in Chicago"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 A pair of snowy owls<\/a> spotted along a Lake Michigan beach has drawn curious crowds and sparked happy speculation about how long the Arctic birds of prey will call Chicago home.<\/p>\n

Word of the two owls has circulated on birder forums in the nation\u2019s third-largest city for about a week, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society. While snowy owls aren\u2019t rare in Chicago, their frequency varies widely each winter. Generally, a handful are reported around December, but sometimes there aren\u2019t any.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir nomadic nature makes them hard to study or even figure out patterns,\u201d Edward Warden, the society\u2019s president, said Sunday. \u201cWhere they\u2019re going is anybody\u2019s guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, two birds have been seen at a beach and pier near the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary on the city\u2019s North Side. A third one was briefly spotted at a beach a few miles south, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society.<\/p>\n

On Monday, the Chicago Park District announced that Montrose Pier would be closed to protect the owls and asked people to stay at least 300 feet away.<\/p>\n

The pair arrived a bit earlier than the birds usually do and have stayed longer as well, prompting questions about whether this will be the year of a possible \u201cirruption,\u201d or boom migration. In previous years, that\u2019s when a dozen or more have shown up in Chicago.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, well over 100 people came out to a concrete pier that juts out into the lake to catch a glimpse. Among them was Sean Clark, a birder and photography enthusiast.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were coming and going all day long. It\u2019s amazing that the birds are accepting of that many people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The owls did seem rattled, however, by some peregrine falcons that swooped down near them, something Clark was able to capture on his camera. The owls\u2019 yellow eyes grew wide and they flapped their large wings but stayed put.<\/p>\n

Snowy owls live north of the Arctic Circle during the summer. In some years, some of the owls stay north while others migrate to southern Canada and the northern half of the United States in the winter, according to experts. On a global scale, they\u2019ve been considered \u201cvulnerable\u201d \u2014 one step from endangered \u2014 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.<\/p>\n

In Chicago, the birds eat a range of things, including small mammals or waterfowl, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society.<\/p>\n

Alan Hougton came to see the owls on Saturday, his first time since he started birding five years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was awesome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

A pair of snow owls \ud83e\udd89 have settled on Chicago\u2019s shoreline near the Montrose Pier. For the protection of wildlife in the area, the @ChicagoParks<\/a> has closed access to Montrose Pier. Please stay a minimum of 300 ft. away from the snowy owls. Check back here for updates! pic.twitter.com\/KPt9nL8nyb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chicago ParkDistrict (@ChicagoParks) November 24, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n