A rare bird is putting an Orange County suburb on the map.
Crowds have been flocking to a neighborhood in Cypress, California to get a glimpse of a snowy owl that has made a home there.
The majestic bird is native to the North Pole, but has been known to fly as far south as Oregon outside breeding season. A snowy owl has never been recorded in California until now.
It’s beautiful, and its origin mysterious.
A release from captivity is one possibility. Though unlikely, some surmise the owl may have hitched a ride on a ship before arriving at a port like San Pedro.
Chris Spurgeon of the Pasadena Audubon Society told the Los Angeles Times that it’s actually possible a large storm altered the bird’s course and took it to California.
“Stardom seems to suit him,” Spurgeon quipped. He hopes the raptor will find enough to eat here.
Neighbors call the snowy owl’s presence a “gift.” Officials will return the favor by letting it be. There are no plans to remove the owl or try to relocate it to another habitat, the city said.