Among the Arctic’s most majestic inhabitants is the Snowy Owl, known scientifically as Bubo scandiacus. These striking birds are seldom spotted in the Susitna Valley; their presence is usually a hint of the harsh winter gripping their usual territories north of the Arctic Circle. As the cold becomes unbearable, they migrate southward, joining local Great Gray and Great Horned Owls in the hunt for mice and other small prey. Their ability to fly almost silently adds an ethereal quality to their movements.

Occasionally, Snowy Owls journey even further south. I recall a particularly frigid evening in my youth, back in Allamakee County, when my father and I were returning home from my brother’s house. The night was clear and dark, and we caught a fleeting, silent glimpse of a white figure soaring above us—a magnificent Snowy Owl, gliding silently through the night sky.

Currently, in Chicago, bird enthusiasts and curious onlookers alike are flocking to the shores of Lake Michigan. They’re eager to catch a glimpse of a pair of these rare owls, which have temporarily taken up residence there.

For birders in Illinois, this is a rare and exciting opportunity.

 A pair of snowy owls spotted along a Lake Michigan beach has drawn curious crowds and sparked happy speculation about how long the Arctic birds of prey will call Chicago home.

Word of the two owls has circulated on birder forums in the nation’s third-largest city for about a week, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society. While snowy owls aren’t rare in Chicago, their frequency varies widely each winter. Generally, a handful are reported around December, but sometimes there aren’t any.

“Their nomadic nature makes them hard to study or even figure out patterns,” Edward Warden, the society’s president, said Sunday. “Where they’re going is anybody’s guess.”

This year, two birds have been seen at a beach and pier near the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary on the city’s North Side. A third one was briefly spotted at a beach a few miles (kilometers) south, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society

That’s an uncommon treat for Illinois birders.