Pictured: The snowy owls invading the continental U.S. - as scientists baffled by why they are arriving

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Going south: Researchers are surprised at how many snowy owls from the Arctic are winging into the lower 48 states this winter in a mass southern migration

These are the snowy owls attracting quite a crowd of onlookers across America as an ‘unbelievable’ mass migration continues to grow.
Bird enthusiasts are reporting rising numbers of the Arctic birds winging into the lower 48 states this winter in a mass southern migration.
Some states as far south as Texas are reporting sightings of the bird that is as white as the driven snow.

Rising population: Bird enthusiasts are reporting rising numbers of the Arctic birds winging into the lower 48 states this winter in a mass southern migration that a leading owl researcher calls 'unbelievable.'

What are you looking at? Sghtings of the snowy owl are also leading to a surge of birdwatchers, hoping to catch a glimpse

New in town: A sighting of the bird has even been reported as far south as Hawaii

Fosters.com reported that one snowy owl has even made it to Hawaii.
Thousands of the snow-white birds have been spotted from coast to coast, feeding in farmlands in Idaho, roosting on rooftops in Montana, gliding over golf courses in Missouri and soaring over shorelines in Massachusetts.
Greater competition this year for food in the Far North by the booming bird population may have then driven mostly younger, male owls much farther south than normal.

Food supply: The largely nocturnal birds have been feasting on a host of other animals, from voles to geese

A certain number of the iconic owls fly south from their Arctic breeding grounds each winter but rarely do so many venture so far away even amid large-scale, periodic southern migrations known as irruptions.
'What we're seeing now - it's unbelievable,' said Denver Holt, head of the Owl Research Institute in Montana.
'This is the most significant wildlife event in decades,' added Mr Holt, who has studied snowy owls in their Arctic tundra ecosystem for two decades.

Shutterbugs: Photographers line up in Damon Point, Washington to catch an image of the snowy owl on film

Rare: Research on the animals is scarce because of the remoteness and extreme conditions of the terrain the owls usually occupy, including northern Russia and Scandinavia

The surge in snowy owl sightings has brought birders flocking from Texas, Arizona and Utah to the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, pouring tourist dollars into local economies and crowding parks and wildlife areas.
The irruption has triggered widespread public fascination that appears to span ages and interests.

Birds of a feather: A certain number of the iconic owls fly south from their Arctic breeding grounds each winter but rarely do so many venture so far away even amid large-scale

Supper wars: Greater competition this year for food like lemmings, pictured, may have then driven mostly younger, male owls much farther south than normal

In popular culture: Snowy owls have been in the limelight for the past several years because of Harry Potter's pet Hedwig

And Mr Holt said an owl that landed at an airport in Hawaii in November was shot and killed to avoid collisions with planes.
He said snowy owl populations are believed to be in an overall decline, possibly because a changing climate has lessened the abundance of vegetation like grasses that lemmings rely on.
This winter's snowy owl outbreak, with multiple sightings as far south as Oklahoma, remains largely a mystery of nature.

source: dailymail