Why Minnesota is seeing its largest winter owl irruption in 20 years

Yahoo

15-02-2025

Hungry owls have been making their way south to Minnesota in search of food, in turn leading to an increase in a number being struck by drivers.
The University of Minnesota's Raptor Center said this week the state is experiencing its largest "irruption" — defined as an "unusually large flow of non-migratory birds, often owls — in 20 years.
The irruptions happen periodically, according to The Raptor Center, and are tied to a fluctuating population of small rodents and several hatchings hatched in Canada's boreal forests the previous breeding season.
"Rarely seen owls — great grey owls and boreal owls — are flying hundreds of miles from Canada's boreal forests to northeastern Minnesota," The Raptor Center said in a Facebook post.
Wildwoods, a Duluth-based, non-profit organization that specializes in rehabbing orphaned, sick and injured wildlife, adds that since Jan. 1, it's admitted 21 owls for care. Of the 21 admitted, at least 18 of them were hit by vehicles.
"In a normal calendar year, we average 30 owls," Wildwoods said in a Facebook post.
"There has been a lot of publicity about these owls, so I am sure most folks know by now that this irruption is a result of lack of food sources in northern Canada," it added. "Boreals and great greys rely on the red-backed vole and other rodents for their sustenance. When there is a decline in rodents, these owls are forced to hunt outside of their traditional areas and find themselves in Duluth and other surrounding areas."
Both The Raptor Center and Wildwoods highlighted the importance for drivers to stay alert of these owls on the roads, as well as keeping one's distance from the owls while they are spotted in the wild.
The Raptor Center adds that owl's eyes are fixed forward, creating poor peripheral vision, meaning they may not be able to see oncoming vehicles while crossing roadways.
"Crowds of observers getting too close to the owls cause undue stress and a loss of calories that is harmful to already hungry (and in some cases, starving) owls," the Raptor Center wrote.