Sometimes it's the simple things in life that truly brighten our days. New Yorkers were thrilled to spot a rare snowy owl in Central Park in January 2021. The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation shared photos of the owl on Facebook. They explained that the sighting was extremely rare-- in fact, no one had seen a Snowy Owl in the famous park for 130 years! A manager at the American Museum of Natural History confirmed that the last reported sighting of a Snowy Owl in Central Park was in 1890.
NYC Parks & Recreation shared, "In winter you will occasionally find a snowy owl enjoying the sandy dunes at our shorefront parks. It is rare to see one sightseeing in Manhattan!" They also cautioned the public to not disturb the beautiful owl, adding, "Snowy owls prefer a lot of personal space and are best viewed through scopes or binoculars."
The Snowy Owl is one of the largest species of owl, and can be identified by its unique white plumage-- the only owl to have this! Although they are largely found in the arctic, they're also somewhat unpredictable birds, and will surprisingly show up in more Southern areas, as this particular Snowy Owl made a surprise appearance in Central Park.
