How to spot a snowy owl and the signs of an irruption

A nearly all white Snowy Owl with black spots sits camouflaged in the stubble of a corn field as snow falls near Macy, Indiana. — A Snowy Owl sits camouflaged in the stubble of a corn field as snow falls near Macy, Indiana.These majestic owls call the frigid arctic tundra home, but sometimes an irruption, the term for the bird’s mysterious migration cycle, causes them to move south in winter.

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons

How to spot a snowy owl in Chicago and the signs of an owl irruption

If you spot the arctic bird in the Chicago area, keep your distance to avoid spooking it. It’s likely stressed by hunger and a long journey.

A Snowy Owl sits camouflaged in the stubble of a corn field as snow falls near Macy, Indiana.These majestic owls call the frigid arctic tundra home, but sometimes an irruption, the term for the bird’s mysterious migration cycle, causes them to move south in winter.

Michael Conroy/AP

By Landon Jones

Snowy owls are a rare and coveted sight for bird-watchers in the Midwest, but if you know what to look for you might have a better chance at spotting them.

Reset learns more about snowy owl irruptions — the term for the mysterious and unpredictable migration cycle for the arctic bird.

GUESTS: Stephanie Beilke, senior manager in conservation science, Audubon Society Great Lakes

Edward Warden, president, Chicago Ornithological Society