09/30/2025
A white ghost with a splash of orange landed on a Michigan pole, and the bird world did a double take.
In Huron County this winter, a snowy owl showed up with bright orange on its head and wings. Birders nicknamed it Rusty. Others called it Creamsicle. Photos spread fast. So did the questions.
Snowy owls are built for white. That’s their camouflage on frozen fields. Orange is not on the usual menu.
Experts weighed in. Some pointed to stains from the human world, like de-icing fluid or paint near airports and bridges. Snowies often hang around those open, tundra-like spaces. If a spray hits at the wrong time, feathers can take the color.
Others said it might be pigment. Under stress, birds can sometimes express different melanin pathways. A few researchers floated that idea, but they also said they need actual feathers to test it.
Project SNOWstorm, which tracks snowies, stepped in to say no one in the U.S. is allowed to dye these owls for research. If this bird was coated, it wasn’t by a legitimate ba**er. They called it vandalism, not science.
A hopeful sign showed up later. New photos suggested the orange was fading, which fits with simple weathering by rain and snow. The owl kept hunting and moving like a normal bird.
No matter the cause, the sight was rare and a little unreal. A northern hunter in borrowed color, flashing bright against a gray winter day. It reminded people to look up, and to keep these places as safe as possible for the wild things passing through.
References
Orange alert: What caused the colors on snowy owl? - Michigan State University, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
No, We’re Not Dyeing Owls Red - Project SNOWstorm
Snowy owl with orange coloring seen multiple times in Michigan’s Huron County - Michigan Outdoor News
Stateside podcast: How did this Michigan snowy owl turn orange - Michigan Public
Are photos of an orange snowy owl in Michigan real - Snopes
Disclaimer: Images are generated using AI for illustration purposes only.