Snowy owl spotted in Milwaukee County; rare Arctic bird draws crowds

OAK CREEK, Wis. - A rare wildlife visitor is drawing crowds across Milwaukee County as a snowy owl — native to the Arctic tundra — has been spotted at multiple locations, prompting excitement from birders and concern from officials about the bird’s safety.

Local perspective:

For professional birder Jim Edlhuber, seeing the snowy owl was a full-circle moment after learning of its arrival over the weekend.

"I jumped in the car, drove down there and there it was," said Jim Edlhuber, professional birder. "The snowy owl is the bird that turned me onto birding."

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Bird experts say snowy owls are not common in Wisconsin, but roughly every four years, groups of them head south in search of food, a phenomenon known as an irruption.

"A lot of people just want to see it because it’s probably the most beautiful bird photographed that I know of in the U.S.," said Edlhuber.

What they're saying:

Mark Korducki, who has been birding since he was five years old, believes the owl seen in Milwaukee County is female. He says the bird’s unexpected appearance highlights the unpredictability of wildlife.

"The nice thing about birds being able to fly is that you never know where they’re going to end up, where they’re to show up," said Mark Korducki, owner of Ducki Unlimited, a a local birding tour business.

Korducki says even people who are not birders recognize snowy owls, in part because of their appearance in popular culture.

"People that aren’t birders know them from the ‘Harry Potter’ movies and because they’re so beautiful, I think everyone just likes owls, they really draw a lot of people," said Korducki.

Big picture view:

As crowds have grown, Oak Creek police say some people have attempted to catch the owl out of concern that it may be injured. But a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the owl appears healthy and urged the public to leave her alone.

Korducki says the attention can also serve a positive purpose.

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"It's good for the whole environment and promoting and protecting our natural resources," said Korducki. "And going forward, that’s important to all of us."

Local birders say the snowy owl was seen Tuesday at Lake Vista Park and was spotted elsewhere in Milwaukee County around noon on Thursday. 

The Humane Society is asking the public to keep the bird’s exact location private to help protect her.