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  • Snowy Owls Having Trouble Migrating

    Snowy Owls Having Trouble Migrating

    It is time for many bird species to begin their spring migrations and Snowy Owls are among the many species that migrate. Although most birds migrate without any trouble it seems that more and more snowy owls are being found dead along their migration paths. While most ornithologists believe the recently reported Snowy Owls deaths are not related and only accidents, many are still studying the dead birds to be sure.

    When a Snowy Owl wearing a GPS tracking device was found dead near Martha’s Vineyard, many people became concerned and wanted to know why this bird and so many others were dying. Tufts University veterinary center and Norman Smith, who is an expert on Snowy Owls, decided to find out what caused the bird’s death. They named the bird Sandy Neck.

    The team examined the bird and released a report with their findings. The report said,

    “The necropsy at Tufts showed no trauma except for a minor deep bruise in her left pectoral, no food in the proventriculus (stomach) or gizzard, and no signs of disease or unusual parasites. As Gus (Ben David) noted, she was in otherwise excellent condition – great muscle mass and fat deposits. Nor was there any water in the respiratory system. Mark Pokras (a veterinarian and professor at Tufts) said if he had to guess, she got swamped, swam to shore and went down from hypothermia – but also couldn’t rule out drowning.”

    “Interestingly, the tracking data shows she was hunkered down for many hours Friday afternoon along the beach between Sengekontacket Pond and the ocean, then around 5 a.m. Saturday headed north over the bay. It looks like by 5:40 a.m. she was in the water, and I assume the movement after that – south a bit, up and around the top of the Island and then back – reflects tide and current, not the owl. So she might not have drowned, but simply died of hypothermia in the water. Looks like she came ashore about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.” And was found the next day,” said Smith.

    In many states, the cold is lingering longer than usual and although there have been several warm spells in the last few weeks, it could still be dangerous for migratory birds to make long flights. If they get caught in cold weather during their migration, they may not know what to do to survive sudden cold spells. Smith and other experts believe this could be the reason so many Snowy Owls are dying during their migrations this year.

    What do you think could be the cause?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Snowy Owls Flying South: Effects Of Cold Weather

    If you are a bird enthusiast, you may be excited to learn that snowy owls are making their way South due to cold weather. With many of the Northern great lakes frozen and their usual habitats becoming harder to hunt, the owls are traveling to warmer areas hoping for better conditions.

    According to the Great Backyard Bird Count, more than 2,500 snowy owls have being reported in 25 states and seven Canadian provinces. The Great Backyard Bird Count allows the public to have a hand in determining where birds are migrating, and can even teach scientists more about bird populations. The event takes place every year and last for four days.

    “When tens of thousands of participants around the world share what they’re seeing during the Great Backyard Bird Count, they help scientists achieve something that would otherwise be impossible — documenting where vast numbers of birds are, all across the world, in a very short period of time,” said Janis Dickinson, director of citizen science at the Cornell Lab in Ithaca.

    These birds usually live in the Arctic tundra, but with bird populations on the rise, the competition for food has become stronger than ever. The cold weather has caused the owls to move south in large numbers, but it is likely even more will be on their way soon.

    Snowy owls aren’t the only birds that were recorded during the count. Black birds, geese, ducks, and starlings were also reported in great numbers during the event. The migrating owl populations are so large that scientists think the owls may be on the verge of an invasion.

    Although the invasion will likely only last for a few weeks or until the owls’ natural habitat returns to a condition that better fits their needs, it is possible that the owls could adapt to a new environment and make their new southern home permanent.

    What do you think about the snowy owl invasion and the Great Backyard Bird Count?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons