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Rare feathered friends: Injured snowy owl found on Cape Ann

By Andrea Holbrook
Staff Writer
Published: December 4, 2008

1Cold-loving, tundra-hunting snowy owls have been spotted in Rockport, and an injured bird was found at the Heights at Cape Ann in West Gloucester.

The raptors, best personified by Hedwig of "Harry Potter" fame, eat lemmings and other rodents, and are birds of open country, marshes and open fields, said local birder Jay Frontiero.

Snowy owls are generally white — young, and females are spotted or barred — and are easy to spot when there is no snow, Frontiero said.

"Straitsmouth Island, off Rockport, is one place to see them, there's one that roosts out there," he said.

Although he hasn't spotted any this season, Frontiero has spotted the owls on Cape Ann in the past.

"They are an unusual bird here," he said. If they do turn up, it is usually at Logan Airport in Boston, Plum Island in Newburyport, and here during a so-called interruption year, he said.

"During an interruption year, if the populations of the owls' main food supply drops dramatically in the far north, they move southward," Frontiero said. "So this year may be one of those. So there may be more of them around."

Frontiero will take part in the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce's Cape Ann Winter Birding Weekend next month, leading tours and captaining a seawatch.

Snowy owls are active during the daytime, from dawn to dusk. Adults range in size from 20 to 26 inches long, with a wingspan of 4 to 5 feet, and weigh from 31âÑ2 to 61âÑ2 pounds.

The snowy owl found injured at the Heights of Cape Ann last weekend is a young male, weighing about 3 pounds. The person who found the bird called licensed wildlife rehabilitator Pat Bade of Hamilton.

Although Bade and her husband usually spot at least one snowy owl wintering at Salisbury Beach or Plum Island each winter, this was the first one she has handled in 25 years of rehabilitating birds of prey.

"It was slightly unusual, but not outside the realm of possibility," she said. She said the owl was young, probably born this year, and may have injured his wing hitting something.

Bade said she wanted advice on how to handle the bird, and the first person she called was Norman Smith for advice.

Smith has been studying snowy owls since 1981. Director of Massachusetts Audubon's Blue Hills Trailside Museum and the Snowy Owl Project at Logan Airport, he has outfitted a dozen owls with transmitters since 2000. According to his and the Mass Audubon's research, the snowy owls that "winter" in Massachusetts spend their summers in northern Quebec, where it is the province's official bird, and Baffin Island — sometimes with the Arctic Circle.

Smith will be in Gloucester next month to talk about owls, including snowy owls, when he takes part in Cape Ann Winter Birding Weekend.

Smith said this is a great year for sighting snowy owls. He has already banded 10 of the raptors this year.

"We used to think a good year was due to there being no lemmings up north, but we finding it's opposite," he said. His migratory studies have shown when there are more lemmings, the owls lay more eggs, and more birds are born and more travel south.

Smith will band the bird Bade rescued if it is released.

Smith recommended Bade take the bird to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic on the campus of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton.

"He originally came to us with a wing droop, and was a little bit skinny, but since he has been eating just fine. He wasn't flying, and when he was, his left wing had droop," said clinic spokesman Tom Keppeler.

"X-rays showed some trouble (inflammation) with the left elbow,'" Keppeler said. "Our veterinarians palpated the wing, and he had no extra swelling and no fracture. The wing is bandaged and tied to his chest. He's kind of feisty, attacking the bandage, which is a good sign and means he's feeling better."

"We're now waiting to see if he has some nerve damage, since he still has wing droop. The next question is why," Keppeler said

"We don't treat many snowy owls, they tend to not come this far south and if they do are more usually found at airports, which look like their usual hunting grounds, the tundra," Keppeler said. Snowy owls are mostly found in Canada, although they have been found as far south as Texas and the Carribbean, especially during interruption years, he said.

"Obviously, the biggest concern with this owl is his ability to hunt. He had no trauma to his eyes, and the wing wasn't broken," he said. "Otherwise, the primary concern is that he be able to fly, and fly straight to hunt."

Keppeler said the length of owl's convalescence will depend on what exactly the problem with his wing is.

"There are still plenty of questions about his wing droop, we're still trying to figure out a diagnosis," he said.

He said that, if the wing droop doesn't resolve, options for the owl are life at a bird sanctuary or wildlife show, depending on how bad the droop is.

"Recovery and release plans are still ahead," however, Keppeler said. If the snowy owl recovers, it will be returned to Cape Ann for release.

For those who may spot a snowy owl, Bade's advice is to stay in your car. Vibrations from footsteps scare away the rodents these magnificent birds prey upon, and may cause it to move on.

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Andrea Holbrook may be contacted at aholbrook@gloucestertimes.com.

Save the date

What: Cape Ann Winter Birding Weekend

When: Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.

Who: The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is hosting the weekend and is seeking sponsors and exhibitors.

Where: Various locations.

Registration opens Friday, Jan. 30 at the Gloucester Elks at 3 p.m. Exhibitors will show products of interest to birders. There will be a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Jim Barry, coordinator of Mass. Breeding Bird Atlas, will deliver an orientation on what birds participants are likely to see over the weekend.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, experts will lead tours at prime birding spots all over Cape Ann. By the end of the day, birders will have had a chance to visit all the spots. Following the tours, there will be dinner with keynote speaker Norman Smith. The director of Massachusetts Audubon's Blue Hills Trailside Museum and the Snowy Owl Project at Logan Airport will talk about owls, from the snowy owl, the largest, to the saw-whet owl, the tiniest.

On Sunday, Feb 1, weather permitting, birdwatchers will board 7 Seas Whale Watch's Privateer for either a trip to Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary or around Cape Ann with Capt. Jay Frontiero.

How much: $10 registration; Saturday dinner, $50; Sunday cruise, $30.

Information: Judy Caulkett may be contacted at the Chamber, 978-283-1601, about sponsorships, exhibiting, or attending the weekend.

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