Snowy Owls Arriving To Great Lakes Early This Winter

What's New

Snowy owls are arriving earlier than usual this winter, marking what experts describe as an "early-season push." This contrasts with a much slower migration in 2023, according to Project SNOWstorm, a crowd-funded snowy owl research initiative.

As of December 12, a snowy owl named Newton was last tracked on the Bruce Peninsula, located between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, shedding light on their current movements.

Why It Matters

Snowy owl migrations are highly unpredictable, making it crucial to track their patterns. Despite their iconic status, much about their yearly behavior remains elusive.

Snowy owls are listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Snowy Owl perched on a post, making eye contact with piercing yellow eyes. Every four years or so, these impressive birds make trips south in large numbers, in what's known as an "irruption." RT-Images/Getty

This designation makes it illegal to disturb them without a permit. The list highlights migratory and non-migratory bird species that are conservation priorities, even if they're not yet federally threatened or endangered.

On a global scale, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes snowy owls as 'Vulnerable' with a population trend labeled as 'Decreasing.'

Threats to their survival include habitat disturbance, climate change, and human-caused factors such as shooting, trapping and poisoning.

What To Know

Snowy owls exhibit unique and variable migration patterns. While some migrate every winter to southeastern Canada, the upper Great Lakes, and New England, others stay in place or even move further north during the cold months.

Occasionally, their numbers spike significantly during winter in what is known as an "irruption." In these events, snowy owls can be seen much farther south than usual, throughout the lower 48 states.

Smaller irruptions occur roughly every four or five years, but sometimes "mega-irruptions" bring unprecedented numbers far beyond their normal range.

For instance, the winter of 2013–14 saw snowy owls in record-breaking numbers, with sightings reported as far south as Bermuda—possibly the largest such event in the Northeast and Great Lakes in over a century.

Contrary to the assumption that these migrations are driven by hunger, researchers believe that an abundance of prey, such as lemmings and voles, during the summer breeding season leads to a population boom. This results in more juveniles venturing south in the winter.

What People Are Saying

Scott Weidensaul of Project SNOWstorm shared in a blog post: "It's shaping up to be an interesting winter, with the first significant, early-season push of snowy owls into the East and Midwest in several years, so buckle up for what we hope will be a great 2024-25.

"As always, we're starting the new season with what we know about the summer 2024 breeding season the Canadian Arctic and subarctic, from which the owls we see and track come."

Newsweek contacted Project SNOWstorm via email for further comment.

What Happens Next

Bird watchers and experts, especially in northern regions, should remain vigilant this winter. If you're fortunate, you might catch a glimpse of a snowy owl—an unforgettable sighting for any wildlife enthusiast.

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