Snowy Owl at Maine Airport Captured and Fitted with GPS Tracking Devices

Project SNOWstorm, a research project that was established in the winter of 2013-2014, has successfully captured and placed GPS tracking devices on two snowy owls in Maine. The owls, which have been coined “Brunswick” and “Casco”, are providing valuable information about the lives and the migratory habits of this species of bird.

In the winter of 2013-2014, the largest snow owl irruption ever recorded took place. The birds migrated from their breeding grounds in the Arctic and headed south to Canada and the US, including Maine. While this migration was awe-inspiring, it was also quite worrisome for airport administrators.

Snowy owls seem to be attracted to airports because of the wide open terrain that they offer, which looks similar to the Arctic tundra, where they come from. As a result of this migration, aircraft and passenger safety has become a growing concern.

The birds, which weigh an average of five pounds and have a wingspan of four to five feet, can wreck havoc, causing serious injury and major damage, should they collide with a plane; not to mention a collision with an aircraft can be fatal for the bird.

In fact, the snowy owl are so dangerous to aircraft that the Federal Aviation Administration has ranked them the 17^th most hazardous bird to aircraft out of a list of 66 birds. Not only is their size a concern for aircraft safety, but so is their behavior. They tend to fly low to the ground and they are reluctant to leave.

Because of the danger that these birds pose, the USDA Wildlife Services often helps airports that are dealing with an influx of snowy owls and other types of wildlife that have the potential to harm aircrafts.

By outfitting the snowy owls with GPS tracking devices, the hope is that Project SNOWstorm will be able to assist with human-wildlife conflicts; in this case, the dangers that snowy owls pose for aircrafts, and the dangers that aircrafts pose for snowy owls.

With the information that is obtained from the GPS tracking devices, Project SNOWstorm hopes to find a solution that is safe and effective for both the owls and for humans. Possible solutions include relocating the animals to a location where they won’t interfere with aircraft and harm human safety, or measures may be taken to keep the animals away.

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