Every winter, rare bird lovers in New Jersey are full of expectations. Here comes the arrival of the spectacular Northern Snowy Owl!

These striking white owls with bright yellow eyes spend their breeding season north of the Canadian Arctic Circle, hunting lemmings and other small animals. Although some people stay in the Arctic tundra all year round, many people venture south in winter to find a richer food supply.

In recent winters, Island Beach State Park has become a regular meeting place for snowy owls hunting on open dunes and grass. Snowy owls have also been found in other coastal and inland points, including Merlin Creek Reservoir in Warren County and Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Some are already here!

The conspicuous color of the snow owl makes it impossible for them to blend into the landscape unless it snows. Wherever snow owls are found, bird watchers and nature photographers are close behind!

However, winter is not just for snowy owls. This is a great season to look for the many and varied beautiful owls in New Jersey. As the leaves fall off the tree, roosting owls are easier to spot. Due to the late sunrise and early sunset in winter, when owls go out hunting in the dark, more people wake up and start their daily lives.

Excellent vision and hearing enable owls to easily and cleverly locate their prey in darkness and twilight. Due to special adaptability, such as wide wings, lightweight body and unusually soft, fluffy feathers, their flight is silent. Owls mate in winter, so this is a good time to listen to courtship calls.

Here are the owls you can see and hear this winter:

Great Horned Owl-New Jersey’s largest and most famous owl is nicknamed the "Owl" because of its unique call-wh-wh-wh-wh-who-call at night. These year-round owls begin their mating and nesting season in December and can be seen everywhere in New Jersey, including cities, towns, and suburbs. They differ from other owls in their large size and large clusters of feathers on top of their heads, similar to cat ears or horns.

Eastern Screaming Owl-Contrary to their names, these common year-round owls rarely scream. Their most famous call is a sad trill, which has a reduced pitch, similar to the hiss of a horse. The screech owl is small, about 7 to 10 inches tall, and can be found in almost any wooded habitat, regardless of human density—rural areas, suburbs, and urban parks. If you can imitate their calls, you might let one fly to a branch near you at night!

Barred Owl-This year-round native owl is one of New Jersey's largest owls. It is 16 to 23 inches tall and is known for its large round head, no tufts, and dark brown eyes. Barred owls are mainly active at night and are usually found in large mature forests. Due to habitat loss, they are considered threatened in New Jersey.

Sawtooth Owl-The smallest bird of prey in New Jersey, the Sawtooth Owl is 7-8 inches tall and weighs 1/4 pound. These mini owls have bright yellow eyes and a broad round head without feather tufts. They rarely breed in New Jersey, but they are frequent visitors in winter. Due to their small size and nocturnal habits, they are difficult to spot, but you may hear their steady and flute-like "too-too-too-too" whistle. The Wild Bird Research Group in New Jersey worked with Mercer County and the Watershed Research Institute to bundle saw owls in the fall and winter.

Long-eared owl-The long-eared owl is about the size of a crow and is named for its long feathers clustered on its head. Although long-eared owls breed in some remote areas of New Jersey, they are best known as winter visitors. They prefer the dense eastern red cedar woodlands, and their secrets make them the least studied owl in the state. Because of habitat loss, they are also considered threatened in New Jersey.

Short-eared owls-These owls were once frequent visitors on the swamps and grasslands of New Jersey, but due to drainage and development, their habitat was greatly reduced. Although they no longer breed as much in New Jersey, they are still quite common winter visitors. Short-eared owls are most active at sunset, hunting in grass and open areas. The short-eared owl is considered an endangered species in New Jersey.

Snowy Owl-Recently famous for Harry Potter's pet Snowy Owl, Hedwig, some of these beauties have been spotted on the beaches of New Jersey in the past few weeks. Unlike most owls, snow owls hunt during the day and are therefore easy to spot. If you are lucky enough to see one, you can tell if it is male or female, because adult males are almost pure white, while females have brown stripes. The non-profit project SNOWstorm used electronic trackers to study the movements of several snowy owls; check them out at www.projectsnowstorm.org/.

Barn Owl-A native New Jersey owl that you might not see in winter is the barn owl. These owls with unique heart-shaped faces like to live in man-made buildings such as barns, silos and church towers. Most people migrate to a warmer climate in winter, although a few people may stay in New Jersey. Due to the loss of nesting habitat, the number of barn owls in New Jersey has been declining, and they are listed as a species of special concern.

Where is the best place to see owls this winter? Check out the eBird website, where thousands of birdwatchers around the world have reported their sightings. Go to https://ebird.org/home and search by species or region. You can also try to follow bird watching groups and nature photographers on social media.

But an important note: keep your distance! Owls must conserve energy to survive in the cold, so don't get too close and cause them to fly to another place. Use binoculars, monoculars and telephoto lenses for long-distance viewing and shooting. Please also respect the restricted areas of private property and public land.

For a closer look at owls, visit Millington’s Bird of Prey Trust or Medford’s Woodford Cedar Wildlife Sanctuary. Both have injured resident owls and cannot survive in the wild.

To learn more about owls, please visit the "All About Birds" website of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/ or the North American Birds of the National Audubon Society Guide https://www.audubon.org/Bird guide.

To learn more about protecting New Jersey’s land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.

Michele S. Byers is the executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.

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