Date: 12/21/25 5:07 pm From: Alexander Henry via groups.io <awhenry...> Subject: [EBB-Sightings] Short-eared Owl Irruption
Apparently there is something of a Short-eared Owl irruption happening in the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley currently.
This brings up a few things in my mind. This isn’t a “heads up, they’re here, go chase them!” message - if anything keep an eye out for them but leave them alone as much as possible! Just a few things to think about.
1) ID. Long-eared Owls and Short-eared Owls can look pretty similar, especially when flying around in the distance in low light conditions. And there is certainly some habitat overlap, at least at this time of year. Please just check and make sure.
2) Ethics. Owls are sensitive to disturbance, please respect them and give them some space. Different individuals have different levels of experience and comfort with humans, and you never know if an individual bird will be accommodating or will be stressed by your presence until you actually interact with that individual. They’ll be more likely to stick around for the winter, safe and happy, if they’re given plenty of space and not thronged by admirers. Just stand on the road and watch them forage in the distance, don’t chase them around at close range trying to get perfect photos.
3) Snowy Owl irruption? Might sound crazy but it’s worth thinking about. There’s a Snowy Owl on the central Oregon coast right now, in addition to Washington, Idaho, and Montana. It’s not inconceivable that one could show up in Northern California. And hey, we’ve already had some arctic visitors this fall. Even though it’s wildly improbable, seems worth thinking about.
