'Mystery' as Owl Migrates in Wrong Direction

Burrowing Owls are really blowing up the news cycle this week!

Welcome to the club, Tennessee!

From Newsweek

A strange owl has mystified scientists after it was found to migrate in a different direction from the other birds of its species.

This creature is a burrowing owl, part of a population that usually migrates from Texas and Oklahoma up to Canada, moving from north to south with the seasons. However, this unique bird was found overwintering near New Johnsonville, Tennessee, having migrated to the southeast rather than the southwest. This marks the first time this species has ever been spotted in Tennessee.

Some burrowing owls stay in one spot throughout the year, while others migrate from north in the summer to the south in the winter.

"Burrowing owls are found west of Central Texas and Oklahoma, all the way up into Canada. There is also a non-migratory population in Florida, so you'll occasionally see them in Alabama but never in Tennessee."

The owl is also thought to have overwintered at this same spot in Tennessee before, meaning that it has taken a preference for this region rather than having merely gotten lost this year.

Read the rest of the story at the link above! It's got more details to this owl in particular, and also some general Burrowing Owl info.