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The author of a question on this site wondered if they had possibly seen a snowy owl. A quoted source in this answer to that question used the word irruption in part of a sentence about where the...
#2: Attribution notice added
by
System
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2020-04-17T20:25:05Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/17770 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#1: Initial revision
by
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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2020-04-17T20:25:05Z (over 4 years ago)
<p>The author of a <a href="https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/17479/possible-snowy-owl-seen-in-the-trees">question</a> on this site wondered if they had possibly seen a snowy owl. </p> <p>A quoted source in <a href="https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/17481/5547">this answer</a> to that question used the word irruption in part of a sentence about where the owls spend the winter. </p> <p><a href="https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/17485/5547">Another answer</a> to the same question also used the word irrupt. Here is the pertinent part:</p> <blockquote> <p>Snowy owls sometimes irrupt southward in substantial numbers (unpredictably), so it will be interesting to see if this is the beginning of a big winter for snowies.</p> </blockquote> <p>I'm interested in the definition and usage of irruption, and what it means in the context of bird behavior and bird watching. </p> <p>I understand that birds, including owls, have migration patterns. Is irruption a migratory behavior? If not, what makes it different? </p> <p>Is it something that happens only with owls, or with other birds too? Can a layman tell by observing a bird if it is one that irrupts, and, if so, whether or not it's in a period of irruption? </p>