(Neb.)- 2 Arctic Snow Owls Under Medical Care In Nebraska

By: Jeremy Anderson Posted at: 11/20/2012 07:53 AM

     LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Two snowy owls have been receiving medical care in Nebraska, far from their species' Arctic homes.

One was hit by a garbage truck near Avoca in southeast Nebraska and suffered a broken wing. The other was spotted at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha and is being treated for malnourishment.
 
     Executive director Betsy Finch of the Raptor Recovery Center Nebraska says seeing the owls so far from their normal habitat is unusual but not out of nature's norm.
 
     In what are called irruption years, scores of snowy owls leave the Arctic. Experts say the incidents are tied to the population cycle of lemmings, a dietary staple, and other factors including weather.
 
     Last year 160 sightings of snowy owls were confirmed in Nebraska.

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