Look out for snowy owls: What to know about the Cape’s stunning winter visitor
Even after the holidays are over, a swell gift may await lucky Cape birders. Snowy owls are back on the scene, and spotting one of these ravishing raptors can be a winter highlight for nature lovers.
Mark Faherty, noted birder and Science Coordinator at the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, captured this photo of a snowy owl at Corporation Beach in Dennis on December 22, 2025. Photo by Mark Faherty
But seeing a “Ghost of the Tundra” might be tricky this season, said Mark Faherty, noted birder and Science Coordinator at the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. “It’s pretty clearly not a big boom year,” wrote Faherty. “None were seen during the Cape Cod Christmas Bird Count, and they cover Nauset Beach pretty thoroughly.”
Faherty spotted a snowy owl at Corporation Beach in Dennis on December 22nd. “I feel very lucky, normally they are limited to the tips of the big inaccessible barrier beaches like Nauset Beach and Sandy Neck in down years,” he wrote.
Noted for their stunning white plumage, the “regal snowy owl is one of the few birds that can get even non-birders to come out for a look,” according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “This largest (by weight) North American owl shows up irregularly in winter to hunt in windswept fields or dunes, a pale shape with catlike yellow eyes.”
Noshing on lemmings
Snowy owls breed in the Arctic, and their breeding success can be highly dependent on the population of brown lemmings, a major prey source. Lots of lemmings means more snowy owls, increasing the frequency of sightings on Cape Cod when the birds head south to hunt and feed in the winter.
According to the Owl Research Institute, “during successful breeding years, up to 95 percent of a snowy owl’s diet is made up of these small mammals. Yet lemming populations fluctuate widely from season to season and, as a result, so do snowy owl nesting rates. Snowy owls are seemingly so dependent on this food source that in low lemming years, the owls may move on or not nest at all.”
A rare sighting of a snowy owl in Harwich. This photo was taken on Jan. 11, 2022 at Red River Beach. Photo by Mark Faherty.
Research over recent years has helped to dispel a myth that snowy owls are driven south by a lack of food supply. According to the National Audubon Society, “influxes consist primarily of healthy, young snowy owls born the previous summer in the Arctic—not a response to food shortages, but a result of owl baby booms fueled by bountiful prey in the form of lemmings.” The young owls might be seeking a place to spend their first winter, as older, more dominant owls stay in the Arctic.
Important to keep your distance
In Massachusetts, snowy owls “are typically found in grassland habitat near the coast that resembles their Arctic nesting habitat,” according to the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Cape Cod’s marshes and coastal dunes fit the bill, with many sightings of snowy owls occurring in beach areas over the years.
Snowy owls are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the state, and according to Mass Audubon, “most of the owls found in Massachusetts during the winter are young, inexperienced, and face many challenges. They must master hunting prey and evading predators; avoid being hit by vehicles or getting electrocuted; fend off disease and rodenticide poison; and deal with disruptions by people while roosting and hunting.”
Thus, birdwatchers should take extra care while observing these showstopping snowies. It’s important to stay a considerable distance away from the owls (at least 50 yards). Use binoculars, spotting scopes or cameras with zoom lenses to get a good look from afar. Mass Audubon also suggests that birders watch for behavioral cues, backing off immediately if you observe the owl becoming alert, extending its neck upright with wide open eyes.
The offseason on Cape Cod is filled with quiet wonders, room to roam and windswept wild places that reveal spectacular natural beauty. Grand adventure awaits, and wouldn’t it be nice to top it all off with an exciting sighting of a majestic snowy owl? Good luck out there!
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