Birders wonder if they contributed to owl’s death

Image: flickr.com/Squeezyboy

When Chicago birders flocked to Montrose Beach this week for a glimpse of two strange birds not often seen in these parts, they got something far more: a bloody death scene and a queasy feeling they might be partly to blame.

The species — a burrowing owl and a Brant goose — were spotted about 9 a.m. Wednesday within 100 feet of each other in the wooded natural area. Within hours, however, the burrowing owl had been torn apart by a hungry Cooper’s hawk in front of chagrined bird-watchers.

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Tagged as: Bird Watchers, Birders, Birds, Brant Geese, Burrowing Owls, Chicago, Cooper's Hawks, Hawks, Montrose Beach, Species

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