A rare guest from the far north has been making special appearances in the Barrie area, turning what began as a quiet sighting into a daily spectacle.

Locals have been soaring to catch a glimpse of this incredible northern hawk owl with piercing yellow eyes and a prodigious-spotted body.

Perched high in the trees, this beautiful creature has captivated Simcoe County residents. According to the National Audubon Society, “In the northern forest, a lucky observer may spot this long-tailed owl perched upright at the top of a spruce. Rather hawk-like in both appearance and behavior, it often hunts by day. Going from tree to tree, it flies fast and low, swinging up at the last moment to alight on the topmost twigs.”

The occasional hawk owl that wanders into unusual areas in winter may remain for weeks, attracting birders from far and wide, shared bird experts.

However, what should be a rare and beautiful moment of quiet observation has turned into a growing concern for local wildlife experts, according to The Owl Foundation. “Vehicles line both sides of the road, crowds gather too closely, all happening right in front of a private residence,” the organization stated in a social media post.

“Not only is this stressful for the bird, but it’s also creating a safety hazard. Police are being called multiple times a day, and the Ministry of Natural Resources has been notified,” The Owl Foundation shared, spreading the message to locals across the region.

Bird experts say the northern hawk owl is known to take advantage of abundant prey by caching small rodents and mammals to eat later, storing them in tree crevices, holes in trees, or among dense spruce boughs.

According to the National Audubon Society, this mystical guy will reside in open conifer forests, birch scrub, tamarack bogs and muskeg.

Locals have posted sightings of the northern creature on social media throughout the months of February and March. Most, however, are silent on its precise whereabouts, which is key in this instance.

“Do not share owl locations online as this often creates an unsafe situation for the owl. Do not cause it to lose focus on the hunt or cause it to fly and waste energy,” said one rehab staff member from The Owl Foundation.

Winter is a tough time for owls. The organization says they rely on conserving energy to survive, and repeated human interference can have serious consequences.

One local caught a glimpse of the owl on Monday, telling CTV News, “He is a migrant, far south of his normal habitat and the northern Boreal Forest. With warmer weather arriving he’ll head north, if he hasn’t already done so.”

CTV News has reached out to the Ministry of Natural Resources for further information on this unusual sighting but has yet to hear back.

While the rare owl is quite the sight for soar eyes, wildlife experts remind the community to practice ethical wildlife viewing in hopes that everyone will put the bird’s well-being first. “The best thing you can do is admire from a distance and respect their space,” concluded the wildlife foundation.

'It doesn’t happen very often ... who knows when the next time you’re going to be able to see it because of the weather and other events,' official says of celestial phenomenon

Previous Next

Expand

Listen to this article 00:02:31

A total lunar eclipse will turn the full moon blood red across northwestern Ontario as Thursday night turns to Friday morning.

The lunar phenomenon, known as the blood worm moon, is expected to last 65 minutes.

During this time, the eclipse will darken the night sky and, if there are no clouds, reveal stars usually washed out by moonlight.

Brendon Roy, a member and first vice-president of the Thunder Bay Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society, said the moon will be passing into the Earth’s shadow in the early hours of Friday morning.

“So, from the vantage point of the moon, the moon is going to see the Earth pass in front of the sun and for the people here in North America, we are going to see the Earth’s shadow fall across the face of the moon,” said Roy.

Depending upon what’s in the air during Thursday night leading into Friday morning, he said the moon will change colour into a red, which can move away from a nice bright red to a dark copper red colour.

As a full moon, Roy explained, the moon will rise close to sunset for everyone on Thursday evening, but the show doesn’t really get started until after 1 a.m. Friday.

“The first signs of the shadow you won’t see until just after 1 o’clock local time here in Thunder Bay and the peak eclipse, the best part of the eclipse, will happen at about 3 o’clock in the morning. And then that process reverses towards the early hours," said Roy.

He added that either those looking to watch it will have to stay up late to see it or be an early riser this time around.

“If someone wants to go out, a good pair of binoculars will be awesome to help,” said Roy.

“So not only is the moon full, but it’s going to be in a part of the sky where there’s a bunch of bright planets as well. So, both Mars and Jupiter will be really bright in that same part of the sky," he added. "So, while you’re looking at the eclipse, you can take a tour of some of the brighter planets that are visible in the evening as well.”

However, Roy said the most important thing is to dress for it, so that observers are comfortable and do not get frostbite or anything similar in case the temperatures drop.

“It doesn’t happen very often. So, if you get the opportunity to see it Friday night, who knows when the next time you’re going to be able to see it because of the weather and other events,” said Roy. “So, when these opportunities do come around, it’s always nice to watch a celestial event like this and know what’s going on in the sky.”

'The Ontario Liberal plan will give everyone a family doctor within four years,' says candidate for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte

Listen to this article 00:02:15

NEWS RELEASE ROSE ZACHARIAS CAMPAIGN ************************* Last night, Rose Zacharias was joined by 100 local volunteers, stakeholders, family and friends at the Crazy Fox Bistro in Barrie to officially launch her campaign as the Ontario Liberal candidate for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte.

“Over 55,000 people in Barrie don’t have a family doctor, and more are at risk of being de-rostered as doctors retire. The Ontario Liberal plan will give everyone a family doctor within four years, because real leaders fix health care,” said Zacharias.

Volunteers in Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte are connecting with a thousand voters every day by knocking on doors and talking on the phone, and are hearing that people are upset about this unnecessary election while the U.S. is imposing 25 per cent tariffs.

“Donald Trump has declared economic war on our workers, our jobs, our factories and our people. In the face of such a devastating threat, we need a premier who puts our people first,” said Zacharias.

To learn more about Rose Zacharias and be part of the team making change, go to RoseZacharias.ca.

About Rose Zacharias:

Rose Zacharias is running to be your MPP in Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. Currently serving the Barrie area as a family doctor, she has also worked in the emergency department for the last 20 years at Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital in Orillia.

Having served as the president of the Ontario Medical Association, Rose sees that our health-care system needs serious changes after eight years of cuts from the current government. Rose is running to bring more family doctors to the Barrie area and improve health care for you.

Life is more expensive than ever before, and as a mom to four children, Rose knows that costs must come down to support our families. Our plan to introduce tax cuts for families and small businesses will make your life more affordable.

To learn more about Rose and bring real solutions to Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte, go to RoseZacharias.ca.

*************************