The Snowy Owl Scoop
Breaking news on the migration of Snowy Owls across North America
Summary Report – Saturday, March 16
The Snowy Owl distribution across the U.S. and Canada continues virtually unchanged since it began last October, with owls scattered from the Atlantic coast into Alberta. Birders continue to find Snowys often near water. Two zones of concentrated distribution include the Atlantic coast from upper Chesapeake Bay to Nova Scotia, and at sites near the St. Lawrence River and eastern Great Lakes. No doubt these zones and sightings correlate with lots of activity by birders.
To be sure, Snowy Owls like to be near water during these winter incursions, where they prey on waterfowl and perhaps even fish snatched from the water’s surface. But open, Arctic-like country from the Midwest into western Canada continues to attract owls this winter.
The farthest south any Snowy Owl has been reported in the U.S. this winter was the Pautuxent River Naval Air Station in St. Mary’s County, MD., a bird captured and relocated for safety on February 11. No Snowy has been reported in the Pacific Northwest so far this March.
Find your owls on The Map link below, which includes sightings since March 1. The Sightings link below features a list of Snowy Owl reports during the past seven days in the lower 48, plus “unconfirmed” reports that aren’t yet showing up on the map.
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The Map
A live map of Snowy Owl sightings reported to eBird since March 1, 2019. These sightings come from birders and other folks who've found owls.
The Sightings
Sightings reported to eBird during the past week. Each sighting includes a map link and an eBird report of other birds seen (if reported) with the owl.
Owls and Us
Our enjoyment of wildlife calls for responsibility and respect. Here's advice on Snowy Owl etiquette from the good folks at Project SNOWStorm.
The Snow Goose Scoop
A snowstorm of a different kind: up-to-date reports on the migration of Snow Geese through the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York.
The Snowy Gallery
Click the grid to view the full gallery of recent sightings from eBird and the Macaulay Library from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Some great new images in here as of February!
