Say Hello to Your Newest Urban Animal: the Snowy Owl

The way the animal world is trending, owl pellets might soon become as common as pigeon poop. North America is experiencing a vast migration of snowy owls from the north, with spottings in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Providence, and many other cities in the Northeast.

The grouping points for these owls frequently involve airports. "Experts say the birds often stop at airports because the airfields look similar to the Arctic tundra where they live," explains The New York Times. In December, authorities at Kennedy International Airport started blasting owls with shotguns after five airplanes collided with the creatures. (They later switched to using traps.) Baltimore also had to remove an owl squatting at BWI Airport. Wildlife groups at Boston's Logan Airport report catching and relocating an "exceptionally high" number of visiting owls – the creatures are bulky and fly low, making them especially dangerous to jets.