Snowy Owls Soar South From Arctic in Rare Mass Migration By Laura Zuckerman | Reuters 10 hrs ago SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) Bird enthusiasts are reporting rising numbers of snowy owls from the Arctic winging into the lower 48 states this winter in a mass southern migration that a leading owl researcher called "unbelievable." Thousands of the snow-white birds, which stand 2 feet tall with 5-foot wingspans, have been spotted from coast to coast, feeding in farmlands in Idaho, roosting on rooftops in Montana, gliding over golf courses in Missouri and soaring over shorelines in Massachusetts. A certain number of the iconic owls fly south from their Arctic breeding grounds each winter but rarely do so many venture so far away even amid large-scale, periodic southern migrations known as irruptions. "What we're seeing now - it's unbelievable," said Denver Holt, head of the Owl Research Institute in Montana. "This is the most significant wildlife event in decades," added Holt, who has studied snowy owls in their Arctic tundra ecosystem for two decades. Holt and other owl experts say the phenomenon is likely linked to lemmings, a rodent that accounts for 90 percent of the diet of snowy owls during breeding months that stretch from May into September. The largely nocturnal birds also prey on a host of other animals, from voles to geese. An especially plentiful supply of lemmings last season likely led to a population boom among owls that resulted in each breeding pair hatching as many as seven offspring. That compares to a typical clutch size of no more than two, Holt said. Greater competition this year for food in the Far North by the booming bird population may have then driven mostly younger, male owls much farther south than normal. Research on the animals is scarce because of the remoteness and extreme conditions of the terrain the owls occupy, including northern Russia and Scandinavia, he said. The surge in snowy owl sightings has brought birders flocking from Texas, Arizona and Utah to the Northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, pouring tourist dollars into local economies and crowding parks and wildlife areas. The irruption has triggered widespread public fascination that appears to span ages and interests. But accounts of emaciated owls at some sites - including a food-starved bird that dropped dead in a farmer's field in Wisconsin - suggest the migration has a darker side. And Holt said an owl that landed at an airport in Hawaii in November was shot and killed to avoid collisions with planes. He said snowy owl populations are believed to be in an overall decline, possibly because a changing climate has lessened the abundance of vegetation like grasses that lemmings rely on. This winter's snowy owl outbreak, with multiple sightings as far south as Oklahoma, remains largely a mystery of nature. "There's a lot of speculation. As far as hard evidence, we really don't know," Holt said. http://news.yahoo.com/snowy-owls-so...BzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3 .. What we are seeing in the mass migrations of snowy owls are the first visible inklings of climate change that involves wildlife habitats, decline of food sources, which are heralding the eventual extinction of certain of our wildlife such as these beautiful snowy owls. To a normal society, one listens to the silent sounds of distress in our forests and migratory patterns to heed the warning nature is telling us. Instead we are busy digging up farms all over the Midwest for the sand that is used in fracking, and then destroying mountain tops and animal habitats in mixing tons of water with chemicals to break open a path to get to the oil. WE keep destroying the lands that wildlife need to survive, land that should be sacrosanct home to them. But we are not a normal society and will ignore all the warning signs until the dire extinction is upon us, and we are forced to breed the few remaining specimens left, but which may be too late.
Granny gonna take a cruise across the North Pole... Say Goodbye to Arctic Summer Ice 12 April 2013 - By the time today's babies graduate college, there's a very good chance they could celebrate with a cruise across the North Pole.
not sure why there would be fewer lemmings with longer summers and I would think result in more vegetation and more lemmings... I'd speculate longer summers mean more lemmings resulting in more owls, the following winters brings a decline in easy hunting(snow cover) and the now overpopulated owls are moving south in search of food...just my opinion I'm not an owl or lemming expert.... edit: just had a peak at the normal winter range of snowy owls and they did extend to most of those places mentioned so I don't see the significance, maybe they haven't been seen in those ranges in a long time and are now returning? ... I recall seeing them as a kid 50 years ago but I haven't seen any since. they're quite an impressive bird to see up close...
Uncle Ferd says it's due to a split jet stream... 'Unprecedented' Jet Stream Pushing Warm Air Into Arctic February 08, 2017 - For the second consecutive year, the northern reaches of the planet are experiencing unprecedented waves of warm air. And climate researchers say they've never seen anything like it.
So which is it? Are snowy owl numbers increasing or decreasing? You can't have it both ways. - - - Updated - - - That's because your not a radical enviromentalnut that hates oil.
Huh? This isn't that rare. Same thing happened in 2014 and 2015. http://www.livescience.com/50102-snowy-owls-southern-migration.html https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/lifehistory
