Snowy owl captured, released in Cook County forest preserve for first time in decades

FOX 32 NEWS - Wildlife watchers this winter have been thrilled at frequent sightings of beautiful white snowy owls, mostly along the lakefront.

Now, for the first time in decades, a snowy owl has been captured and released from a Cook County forest preserve. 

"It's going to be a good memory. It was a good day," County wildlife technician Melina Frezados said.

Frezados enjoyed the catch and release of a lifetime, her first snowy owl. On Wednesday morning, a fisheries biologist  emailed Frezados that he had spotted one of the stunning raptors. She set a trap, and waited nearby.

“I didn't have any luck on Wednesday but then on Thursday morning I was back there at 5:30, and saw it again, and this time, I just caught it at the right moment,” Frezados said.

Frezados took some measurements, tagged the owl with a band for research, and after 15 to 20 minutes, it was set free. 

“From banding, we can discern all sorts of information. dispersal, migration, survival, productivity, all sorts of things, toxicology, disease.” Frezados said.
 
Forest Preserve officials would not say precisely where the snowy owl was discovered, in part because of the fear that poachers might try to capture the beautiful bird     

Snowy owls have been spotted along the Great Lakes more often this winter than in recent years. Frezados said a big breeding season up north, in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, has probably sent younger owls south, looking for food. She said they're likely stressed from the trip, 

“We don’t want to put any undue stress on them by trying to get too close. So my advice is telephoto lense, or some binoculars, that's the way to go,” Frezados said.    

Forest preserve officials said they want the 70,000 acres they manage to be an ideal habitat for wildlife like the snowy owl. Frezados said the capture of this owl at an inland location, far from the lakefront, is sign that their management plan is working.