Over the weekend, hundreds of curious Chicagoans ventured to Lake Michigan beachfronts to witness a birding marvel: the early arrival of snowy owls.
Two snowy owls have been spotted at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary and a third briefly at Rainbow Beach, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society.
A snowy owl perches near Montrose Beach on Nov. 25, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Snowy owls fly near Chicago's Montrose Beach on Nov. 24, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A snowy owl flies near Montrose Beach on Nov. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)Cathy Heldt, of Evanston, photographs a snowy owl at Montrose Beach on Nov. 25, 2025, in Chicago. "I was worried I’d missed them," she said. "When I walked up, I was like oh they’re still there because I saw all the people." (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)People congregate to view snowy owls at Montrose Beach on Nov. 25, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A snowy owl lands near Montrose Beach on Nov. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A snowy owl in the sand at the edge of the Lake Michigan shoreline at Montrose Beach in Chicago on a Wednesday in November. Reports of its sighting attracted many birders. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)Lee Applewhite, 36, of Chicago, watches snowy owls Nov. 25, 2025, near Montrose Beach. “We have more of a yard than you’d ever have in rural America,” Applewhite said. “A backyard that’s free … the bird sanctuary, the beach, that’s sick.” (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A portion of Montrose pier is closed off Nov. 25, 2025, near where two snowy owls have been spotted in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A snowy owl sits next to Lake Michigan near Montrose Beach on Nov. 24, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)A snowy owl sits near Montrose Beach in Chicago on Nov. 25, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)People take in the sight of two snowy owls resting on the sand at Montrose Beach in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
