Snowy owls undertake their annual migration to the Prairies to hunt rodents in expansive open areas. This year’s migration is significant due to the recent classification of snowy owls as a threatened species. The designation, declared by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in May, highlights a 40% decline in snowy owl population over the past 24 years, as stated by Louise Blight, a COSEWIC birds specialist.
Various challenges face snowy owls, including habitat loss in their Arctic nesting grounds from climate change, leading to reduced hunting platforms due to melting sea ice. Additionally, avian influenza poses a threat to snowy owls, with 15 cases reported in Canada since 2021. Migration south also presents risks, such as vehicle collisions, electrocution by power lines, entanglement in structures, and poisoning from consuming prey exposed to rodenticides.
Colin Weir, from the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation, emphasized the hazards snowy owls face in new territories, leading to injuries. Monitoring snowy owl populations is complex due to their nomadic behavior, making traditional surveys challenging. While attaching transmitters aids in tracking movements, accurately assessing population changes remains difficult. The data on snowy owl numbers often comes from initiatives like Christmas Bird Counts, involving citizen scientists.
The designation of snowy owls as a threatened species in Canada is expected to drive more research efforts to comprehend their population status comprehensively. This increased focus aims to utilize diverse data sources to identify regions of concern within the snowy owl’s range.
