New Rise in Snowy Owl Population Prompts GPS Tracking of Them

Researchers use GPS tracking to find out more about the newly increased population of Snowy Owls in Maryland.

The Snowy Owl is an elusive bird that is native to Canada, though it can be found in various locations around the United States as well. It is also the official bird for Quebec, a province in Canada. While its classification is still not confirmed, experts believe it to be closely related to the Bubo horned owls. They can travel thousands of miles on their own and typically do when the seasons change.

One of the snowy owls being tracked, Hungerford, did just that when she traveled from the Arctic tundra to the coast of Maryland in the fall. In the winter, researchers found her and have been tracking her activity, along with other owls involved in a study.

While they are some of the largest birds that can be found in North America, there is little information about them. They don’t generally like to be around humans and spend most of their time in the Arctic Circle, only moving to the United States in the winter.

Usually, humans rarely see them, but this past winter it all changed. Residents began seeing them around Thanksgiving in Georgia, Kentuck,and Nebraska. A biologist, Dave Brinker, who works for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources saw two of them on a Maryland beach, which is practically unheard of. Brinker knew this was something that might not happen again and he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about these interesting birds.

There is currently a fast population boom going in with the snowy owls, called an irruption. This is the biggest population of these birds that have been seen in 40-50 years. The source of more snowy owls breeding is thanks to a growing population of lemmings, which are the rodents that snowy owls eat more than other food sources. With more lemmings available, snowy owls have been able to survive longer and grow a large population, which might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

This new research project is called Project Snowstorm and is being lead by Brinker and Scott Weidensaul. Two dozen solar-powered GPS trackers have been purchased following a crowdfunding event that helped raise $36,000.

 The owls were tracked by visiting places they had been seen before, especially areas they knew the owls waited for their prey. After setting a trap and waiting, they were able to capture the owls and place a GPS tracking device on them.

 The GPS trackers are solar powered and are very lightweight, as to not bother the owls. Brinker said they notice it at first but quickly adjust to it. Now that their activity and movement is being tracked, they have set up awebsite where anyone can track the path of  the snowy owls.

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