DOG comms to now OWL comms
Snowy owl spotted in Central Park for the first time in more than a century, experts say
JANUARY 28, 2021 / 6:28 AM / CBS NEWS
There was an extremely rare sight in Central Park on Wednesday that experts say hasn't been seen in more than a century. CBS New York reports bird watchers flocked to catch a glimpse of a snowy owl. It was spotted Wednesday morning on a baseball field in the park's North Meadow. The birds are native to the Arctic tundra and migrate south during the winter. Experts say the last recorded sighting of a snowy owl in Central Park was back in 1890.
Snowy owl migration is not completely understood, according to "CBS Sunday Morning" contributing videographer Judy Lehmberg. They nest on the Arctic tundra in the summer and some migrate south in the winter. For no known reason some snowy owls actually move further north in the winter, out to the Arctic Sea ice, where they must hunt in mostly total darkness. Occasionally they move further south during what are termed irruptions. Minor irruptions occur every few years, but infrequently a major irruption occurs. Then, the owls move even further south in even greater numbers, into northern Florida and, at least once, to northern Texas.
First published on January 28, 2021 / 6:28 AM
Definition of irruption
: an act or instance of irrupting: such as
a : a sudden, violent, or forcible entry : a rushing or bursting in
…the assassination still feels like a primal catastrophe—an irruption of inexplicable evil as horrifying as any supernatural bogeyman.
— Ross Douthat
b : a sudden and violent invasion
…begins not with Hitler's attack on Poland, but with the Japanese irruption into Outer Mongolia in July 1939…
— John Gooch
c ecology : a sudden sharp increase in the relative numbers of a natural population usually associated with favorable alteration of the environment
The owl's appearance came during an irruption, a huge southward migration of snowy owls from their arctic territories that, this year, followed a successful breeding period.
— Scott Carroll
——— Recent Examples on the Web ————————
Evening grosbeaks are undergoing their largest irruption in more than 20 years, according to the authors.
— Star Tribune, "This winter looks to be a banner year for irruptive boreal birds," 22 Dec. 2020
It’s an owl irruption, of sorts, for the International Owl Center — a burst of artwork.
— Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, "Fall migration, action at bird centers, and more make August a month to engage.," 13 Aug. 2020
The President wants to make the elections a referendum on himself and on immigration, but his irruptions are drowning out other GOP messages like the growing economy and tax reform.
— The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Wisconsin Canary," 4 Apr. 2018
During an irruption, younger owls strike out on their own in search of food and space.
— Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, "A Boom of Snowy Owls Masks a Host of Climate Threats," 8 Feb. 2018
The greater number of birds is referred to as an irruption, which usually leads to more of the owls flying farther south in the winter in search of food.
— Mari A. Schaefer, Philly.com, "Snowy owls calling Philadelphia International Airport their winter home," 5 Mar. 2018
These owls are migrating from northern Canada during what is called an irruption, which the owls cycle through every four to five years.
— Sarah Bowman, Indianapolis Star, "Snowy owl rescued in northern Indiana dies, second owl on the mend," 8 Dec. 2017
The only way to escape her father’s virtual suicide pact is through violence, and the novel culminates in an irruption of gunplay.
— Sam Sacks, WSJ, "The Best New Fiction," 25 Aug. 2017