Snowy owl sightings above average this year in the Miami Valley – WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio

MIAMI VALLEY — Though the Miami Valley is below our average snow total, we are seemingly above our average snowy owl total.

News Center 7′s Molly Koweek found out why photographers are capturing the arctic birds so far from their home.

Rebecca Jaramillo is the director of the Glen Helen Raptor Center. She has heard of at least five sightings between the Cincinnati and Columbus regions.

“I’d been seeing that this year it was a lot higher numbers,” Jaramillo said.

Photographer Roger Garber snapped pictures of the snowy owls last month in Springfield.

>> PHOTOS: Snowy owl spotted in Springfield

His wife Marcia Garber took more photos last week in Xenia.

“This is what we call an irruption year,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo explained this happens every four to five years, and it has to do with the snowy owls’ food population in their home in the arctic circle.

“A lot of people used to think they were coming here because they were starving, there wasn’t enough food, and so they were looking for more food, but it’s actually sort of the opposite,” Jaramillo said.

Instead, she said lemmings, the rodents the owls typically feed on, had a good year–leaving more food for the owls.

“So ordinarily, you know maybe one chick per nest would survive, but because there’s so much food, almost all of the chicks survive,” Jaramillo said.

That means to avoid overcrowding, the owls have to spread their wings and head south.

The snowy owls have been enjoyable to spot, but only for a limited time.

Jaramillo said they will leave around February to head home.

©2022 Cox Media Group