Opting for a winter adventure in Manitoba over a tropical holiday, Montana physician Kishore Karamchandani enjoyed a unique owl-spotting tour across the frozen Canadian Prairies.
Reflecting on his experience, Karamchandani shared, “I had the opportunity to witness a hawk owl in flight and capture some amazing images of birds in action, making it a truly enjoyable trip that I highly recommend to others.”
Among the participants in the sold-out winter owl expeditions in Manitoba by Eagle-Eye Tours, Karamchandani, a pulmonary and critical care physician from Montana, was one of approximately sixty eager owl enthusiasts.
While Eagle-Eye Tours typically leads trips to warmer locales, the increasing interest in Manitoba’s winter owl sightings has attracted international birders for the second consecutive year.
Guide Josh Dewitt, speaking about the allure of owls, particularly the great grey owl, emphasized their resilience in enduring harsh winter conditions and captivating human fascination throughout history.
While Eagle-Eye also offers trips to warmer destinations like Belize and Costa Rica this winter, the comparatively lower cost of the Manitoba owl tours at $1,900 appeals to many participants, including ecotourists from various countries.
Jim Duncan, a former Manitoba Fish and Wildlife Branch head, highlighted the rich owl diversity in Manitoba during winter, underscoring the ease of spotting different owl species without the hindrance of leaf-covered trees.
Duncan, a co-founder of the Manitoba Nocturnal Owl Survey, emphasized the long-standing global interest in Manitoba’s owls and the significance of owl conservation efforts through citizen science initiatives.
Speaking about the cyclical nature of owl populations, Duncan explained the boom-bust trends tied to prey availability, shaping the abundance of owl species like the great horned owl and saw-whet owl in Manitoba.
During a recent tour, Duncan shared insights with