A Snowy Owl was observed midday in a tree beside the parking lot of the Vancouver International Airport.
Kate Sahaydak observed:
On December 5th, 2017, a Snowy Owl was observed midday in a tree beside the parking lot of the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). My attention was drawn to the tree because there were several crows flying around the tree and squawking incessantly. The Snowy Owl appeared to be a healthy individual (unable to determine if it was a mature female or immature male), as can be observed in the photo provided. I found it unusual to find a snowy owl in the southwest of British Columbia (BC) as it is not within their typical winter range (Weir et al., 2017). I also found it peculiar that the owl was at the airport where there is a lot of air traffic and human interaction.
LEO Editor Comment:
The first sighting of a Snowy Owl (Bubo Scandiacus) in British Columbia recorded on the eBird database was in 1963 by Paul Mackenzie, and this sighting was in Delta, near Ladner, about 10 km or so from the Vancouver International Airport. Since that time, based on the eBird database, the lower mainland has been the primary hotspot in British Columbia for Snowy Owl sightings. Caution is advised when interpreting eBird data given that sampling effort changes over time. This makes it unclear whether the apparent emergence of this hot spot is a reflection of increased sampling effort over time, or a real change in species distribution. LEO has shared this observation with eBird.>Another LEO Network post describes an aggregation--an irruption--of Snowy Owls in Delta BC, and discusses that occurrence as somewhat of a mystery. Tom Okey
Literature cited:
Weir, R.D., M.R. Lein, and M. Mallory. 2017. Snowy Owl, In Hinterland Who's Who, Canadian Wildlife Federation. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
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