Imagine taking a walk around Birmingham’s Railroad Park with your family a few days before Christmas, and suddenly, you discover a rare owl that has not been seen in Alabama for about a decade.

That “Christmas miracle” happened to avid birders Bob and Sandy Sipe this holiday season when they spotted the Long-eared Owl.

Special moment in Birmingham natural history

Long-eared owl spotted at Railroad Park. (Bob and Sandy Sipe)

Here is how Sandy Sipe described this special moment in Birmingham natural history in an email to Bham Now:

“Our son, who now lives in New Jersey with his girlfriend, was home for the holidays, and we were enjoying a walk through Birmingham’s beautiful Railroad Park. My husband and I are avid birders and often plan our travels around finding new species, so we were eager to share both the park and our love of birding with them.

“As we strolled, we demonstrated the Merlin Bird ID iPhone app developed by Cornell University, which listens to birdsong and calls in real time and identifies species as they are recorded. Merlin flagged a Northern Cardinal, which we quickly located in a nearby tree. It was then that Celia, a non-birder, noticed a dark shape perched close by and asked what it might be. To our amazement, it was an owl.”

The Sipes, who are bird photography enthusiasts, did not have their usual cameras on them, but fortunately were able to take a nice image of the rare bird with their IPhone. They tried to take photos later in the day with their cameras but the owl hid itself in the trees, from a small group of birders who caught wind of the discovery.

“The sighting was thrilling on its own, but it became truly extraordinary when the owl was later identified as a Long-eared Owl — a species that has not been documented in Alabama for many years. It was also a “life bird” for us and several others, one we have never observed anywhere before.”
Sandy Sipe

Long-eared Owl: A mystery in Alabama

long eared owl abundance map — This material uses data from the eBird Status and Trends Project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, eBird.org. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

How special was this natural history discovery on the grounds of Railroad Park — “Birmingham’s front lawn?”

“This species is a mystery in Alabama. It breeds far to the north and over-winters as far south as central Tennessee, though always in sparse numbers. There are less than 20 reports of them in Alabama. And in recent decades there’s been about one detection every decade. However, many of us suspect that these birds are in Alabama every year but because of their sneaky habits they go undetected.”

Scot Duncan, Alabama Audubon

The owl also comes at a time when the interest of birding is truly taking off in The Magic City and the state of Alabama. On Feb. 1, Alabama Audubon is holding its annual Bird of the Year event at Back Forty Brewery. This spring, the group is also hosting the 23rd Annual John L. Boron Alabama Coastal Birdfest.

Christmas gift: Long-eared Owl

One thing is for sure, the Sipe family and Alabama’s birding community are overjoyed about seeing a rare owl and the fond memories it brought to everyone before Christmas and the upcoming year.

“The rare visitor felt like an early Christmas gift for the small group of birders lucky enough to witness it. Although the owl has since departed the park, the experience remains a once-in-a-lifetime memory for our family.”
Sandy Sipe

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