Snowy owls are large, white owls that live in the Arctic tundra. They are a popular and iconic bird that many people hope to see when visiting northern regions. But with their camouflage white feathers and remote habitat, snowy owls can often be difficult to locate. Here we’ll look at some of the factors that determine how hard or easy it is to find snowy owls.
Where do snowy owls live?
Snowy owls live in the tundra regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Siberia. The tundra habitat consists of flat, treeless plains that have very little vegetation. It’s not the easiest terrain for humans to navigate and access. Snowy owls may nest on the ground in this open habitat or on elevated mounds and cliffs. During the winter some snowy owls will migrate south to Canada and the northern United States. But most remain in the remote Arctic regions year-round.
How common are snowy owls?
Snowy owls have a circumpolar distribution but their total global population is only around 200,000 to 300,000 mature adults. So while their range is widespread, their numbers are comparatively low for an owl species. They are common locally in certain Arctic and subarctic regions, particularly along the northern coasts. But overall their low total numbers and concentration in remote areas mean snowy owls are not commonly encountered by most birders and observers.
Do snowy owls congregate in winter?
During winter some snowy owls that breed in the high Arctic will migrate south to more temperate regions in Canada and the northern U.S. states. When food is scarce farther north, larger numbers of snowy owls will irrupt and move south in search of more abundant prey. These irruptions occur at irregular intervals when lemming populations crash in the Arctic tundra. During irruption years, higher concentrations of snowy owls can gather at migration hotspots, particularly along the Great Lakes and northeastern coast.
What is the best way to find snowy owls?
Here are some tips for finding snowy owls during both the breeding and wintering seasons:
- Visit known nesting sites in the tundra during June and July.
- In winter, check hotspot areas like Boundary Bay in British Columbia.
- Focus on open habitats like airports, beaches, dunes, and fields.
- Scan elevated perches like fence posts and rocks.
- Use binoculars and scopes to search distant perches.
- Talk to other birders and check rare bird alerts for recent sightings.
- Aim for early morning and late afternoon when owls are most active.
Even when following these tips, spotting a camouflaged snowy owl in its vast Arctic or grassland habitat can still be very difficult. Patience and persistence are key.
Do snowy owls migrate during the day or night?
Snowy owls are primarily diurnal owls, meaning they are active during the daytime. So most migration by snowy owls occurs during daylight hours. However, they may sometimes make longer overnight flights as well. Juvenile snowy owls tend to migrate before adults in the fall and will migrate farther distances into the continental United States. These young migrating owls often hunt during the day and throughout the night when traveling farther south.
What time of year is best for finding snowy owls?
The best time of year to find snowy owls depends on whether you are trying to see them in their breeding areas or wintering areas:
- Breeding areas: Visit the tundra from May to August. Snowy owls court and nest on the ground during summer.
- Winter areas: Most snowy owls arrive December to February. This coincides with the peak of irruption years.
Snowy owls are present on their Arctic breeding territories for the shortest period. Just 3-4 months a year. This makes summer sightings in northern regions rare. Winter offers a longer 6 month window for finding snowy owls in more southern regions.
Do snowy owls migrate every year?
Snowy owls do not necessarily migrate south every year. Whether an owl migrates depends on food availability, weather conditions, and age of the bird:
- Juveniles are more likely to migrate farther distances than adults.
- When lemming populations crash, more owls will migrate in search of food.
- Severe weather and heavy snow may force owls to move south.
- Abundant food can allow owls to remain on Arctic breeding grounds.
Adult male snowy owls are the most likely to remain in the same Arctic territory year-round when food is adequate. Females and young-of-the-year travel south more regularly each winter.
How do you attract snowy owls?
There are a few methods that may help attract snowy owls to an area:
- Place rodent decoys like lemmings where owls can see them.
- Use owl calls and sounds to draw owls in.
- Offer bait like mice or lemmings if legally permitted.
- Set up rodent-catching traps and leave captured mice exposed.
However, these methods are not guaranteed to bring in snowy owls. It depends if there are owls nearby that might spot the food. It’s illegal to directly feed or bait owls in many areas.
Why are snowy owls irruptive?
Snowy owls exhibit irruptive winter migrations primarily due to fluctuations in their main food source. Lemmings are small rodents that live under the snow in Arctic tundra regions. Snowy owls rely on lemmings for up to 90% of their diet. But lemming populations in the Arctic follow a boom-and-bust cycle:
- Peak density of 300-4000 lemmings per hectare during boom years
- Crash to just 5-20 lemmings per hectare during bust years
When lemming numbers crash every 3-5 years, snowy owls that bred in the Arctic have sparse food resources. This leads to mass migrations farther south in search of alternative prey like voles, ducks, and gulls. The southward irruptions occur unpredictably and make snowy owls more accessible to birders during these winters.
How can you tell if a snowy owl migration is happening?
There are a few signs that may indicate an irruption and mass migration of snowy owls is occurring:
- Higher than normal numbers reported at hotspots like Duluth, MN and the Great Lakes
- Increased online sightings on listservs and social media
- Higher frequency of young owls and reports from southern states
- Dense concentrations of owls in a particular region
Checking in with other birders online and looking for spikes in eBird snowy owl sightings can help confirm an irruption year. Snowy owl migrations tend to peak from December to February after the owls have traveled south from the Arctic breeding grounds.
How many snowy owls migrate in a typical year?
It’s difficult to accurately estimate the number of snowy owls that migrate in a given year. In an average year, around 3,000 to 5,000 snowy owls may leave the Arctic and migrate south in the winter. However, during irruption years, this number can swell to 10,000+ owls migrating from the Arctic tundra habitats.
According to Project SNOWstorm which tracks migration through tagged owls, around 30-50% of juvenile snowy owls and 5-20% of adult male owls migrate south annually from key monitoring sites. The percentage of migrating adults tends to increase during years when lemmings crash in the Arctic.
How far south do snowy owls migrate?
Most migrating snowy owls only go as far south as the northern United States and southern Canada. This includes states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Washington, and Maine. But during irruption years, some vagrant juveniles will occasionally wander as far south as Oklahoma, Maryland, North Carolina and Northern California.
Southern British Columbia, the Great Lakes, and New England tend to be consistent wintering regions during both regular and irruptive migration years. These areas provide abundant prey and open habitat for hunting.
What is the snowy owl’s migration pattern?
Snowy owls exhibit a somewhat nomadic migration pattern. There are a few aspects that characterize their seasonal movements:
- Leave Arctic nesting grounds between September and December.
- Juveniles migrate before adults; males before females.
- Short-distance migration to northern US/Canada in most years.
- Irregular irruptions bringing owls farther south when food scarce.
- Wide wandering by juveniles during migration.
- Return north mainly March through May.
Snowy owls don’t follow set migratory routes the way many songbirds do. Their migration is guided by food availability and weather conditions, leading to yearly differences in timing and paths.
How fast and high do snowy owls migrate?
Snowy owls are believed to migrate at speeds between 20 and 40 mph when traveling. However, they usually migrate in a series of short journeys, stopping to rest and hunt for periods of days to weeks before resuming movement farther south or north again. On longer flights, snowy owls have been recorded migrating at altitudes around 1,600 feet in relatively straight paths.
Do snowy owls migrate over water?
Snowy owls typically avoid large bodies of open water during migration. Their movements from the Arctic to wintering grounds stick mainly to overland routes through Canada and the northern United States. However, vagrants are occasionally spotted migrating over lakes or along coastal areas.
A few thin stretches of open water like the St. Lawrence Seaway may be directly crossed during migration. And snowy owls wintering along Great Lakes shores and ocean coasts will hunt over water for seabirds. But compared to many migratory landbirds, snowy owls do not make regular open water passages on their migrations.
Do snowy owls return to the same wintering or breeding areas each year?
Recent tracking studies on snowy owls have found:
- Adults show high breeding site fidelity, returning to the same Arctic nesting areas.
- Winter site fidelity is weaker, but some adults return to the same wintering regions.
- Juveniles show little site fidelity during migrations before establishing breeding areas.
So adult snowy owls, especially breeding males, tend to be highly faithful to their nesting territories each summer. But wander more randomly during winter. Young owls migrate nomadically before establishing consistent breeding and wintering ranges.
What threats do snowy owls face during migration?
Some of the main threats facing snowy owls during migration include:
- Collisions with vehicles and aircraft
- Secondary rodenticide poisoning from consuming poisoned prey
- Lead poisoning from eating prey containing lead bullet fragments
- Habitat loss reducing hunting grounds
- Disturbance from birders and photographers
Vehicle strikes in particular claim the lives of hundreds of migrating and wintering snowy owls each year. Efforts to capture and rehabilitate poisoned owls, use non-toxic ammunition for hunting, and protect owl habitat can help reduce these threats.
How can you help protect migrating snowy owls?
Some ways you can help minimize impacts and protect the snowy owl during migration include:
- Avoiding disturbance to owls and observing them at a distance
- Reporting injured or sick owls to rehabilitation centers
- Picking up and properly disposing of rodenticides
- Collecting lead shot during habitat cleanups
- Reporting owl sightings ethically via eBird or state programs
- Supporting habitat conservation programs in wintering areas
Following proper ethical birding practices, reducing toxins, and protecting habitat can go a long way in ensuring the survival of these majestic northern owls during their migration journeys each year.
Conclusion
In summary, finding snowy owls requires visiting remote Arctic regions in summer breeding season, or heading to wintering grounds like the Great Lakes and New England coasts. Peak migration occurs December to February. Patience and checking reported sightings are key to locating owls. Their irruptive migration patterns mean snowy owl numbers fluctuate between years. Following ethical birding guidelines and reducing threats like vehicle collisions and poisonings can help safeguard migrating snowy owls. With a combination of effort, timing, and luck, observers willing to brave the elements will stand the best chance of spotting one of these magnificent white raptors.
