Are Snowy Owls Endangered? (Threats, Numbers + FAQs)

The snowy owl, though the rarest of the species, is the most widely known. These northern-dwelling owls make their home across much of the Arctic, from the farthest reaches of Canada and northern Russia to as far south as the Great Lakes, the United States, northern Europe and the remote parts of the United Kingdom.

This iconic species inhabits some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth, relying on a delicate balance of food sources, nesting sites and favorable weather conditions to survive. Here, we’ll answer the question: Are snowy owls endangered?

In 2018, the snowy owl was listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Red List is the IUCN list of threatened, vulnerable and endangered animals. Studies show the snowy owl population has plummeted from 200,000 in 2013 to about 28,000.

The IUCN cites that if snowy owl declines “prove to be higher, the species may qualify for a further upgrade to ‘endangered’.”

Estimating snowy owl populations has been tricky because they seem to follow a “boom and bust” pattern that fluctuates with prey availability. Recent figures may reflect a “depression” in snowy owl populations, but climate models suggest global warming is dramatically affecting numbers.

Read on to learn more about how and why the beautiful snowy owl is endangered.

Snowy owl listed as Vulnerable

Why are snowy owls endangered?

Snowy owl numbers are extremely difficult to estimate, partly because they live in sparsely populated and isolated parts of the world, and partly because their numbers fluctuate naturally.

Additionally, snowy owls have an enormous range, covering an incredible 12,000,000 square kilometers (4,600,000 square miles), some of which migrate back and forth between continents. For example, a female snowy owl tracked in 2012 traveled approximately 7,000 miles from Boston, Massachusetts, to Nunavut, Canada, and back.

As tricky as it is to quantify the snowy owl population, current figures suggest the number has declined from more than 200,000 to about 28,000 in 2018. Since the 1960s, North American populations have declined by approximately 52% to 64%. This led to the species being listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 2018.

Snowy owl lands on a snowy field in Ottawa, Canada

snowy owl dependent on lemmings

Snowy owls rely primarily on lemmings as a food source. Evidence suggests that lemming populations are moving north, closer to the Arctic, as temperatures rise.

The data show that the lemmings’ northward movement is affecting many of the predators that feed on them, such as stoats, snowy owls, arctic foxes and long-tailed skuas.

The sporadic northward movement of lemmings is a big factor in the snowy owl’s near-extinction. This causes the “lemming cycle” to collapse, which has a knock-on effect on animals that rely on lemmings as a food base. When lemmings disappear from owls’ feeding grounds, they inevitably starve to death.

In years when lemming populations become unpredictable, or when lemmings simply fail to reproduce, or they die prematurely in winter, snowy owl numbers can drop to dangerously low levels. This is confirmed by research in Greenland, which links the collapse of lemming populations to dramatic declines in the productivity of owls, stoats and arctic foxes.

Lemmings are the main source of the snowy owl’s diet

Snowy Owls and Climate Change

Changes in lemming populations are accompanied by many other climate-related factors, such as changes in migratory behavior, changes in vegetation composition, increased risk of disease and parasites, risk of hyperthermia, rapid changes in weather conditions, and more.

While snowy owl populations are known to fluctuate naturally, climate models and a wealth of data suggest that declines are no longer part of a natural cycle.

It is almost unequivocal that human-driven climate change is affecting snowy owl populations, making life harder on the already inhospitable Arctic fringes.

Closeup of a snowy owl flying low

What are the threats to snowy owls?

Snowy owls are top predators and have no natural enemies as adults. Instead, their main threats come from the environment, climate change, poaching, and collisions with vehicles and power lines.

Recent research suggests that climate change is one of the reasons for the rapid decline of this graceful and iconic bird.

These ice-dwelling birds have evolved to thrive in habitats where few other large animals can survive. While arctic environments are dynamic and never remain the same, snowy owls have previously adapted to seasonal and year-on-year changes by migrating south or north.

Today, accelerating Arctic change is changing the landscape at an unprecedented rate. Snowy owls are one of many species whose habitats are shifting — their role in ecosystems depends on a delicate balance that is disrupted by climate change.

Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing snowy owls

What is the biggest threat to snowy owls?

The recent decline in snowy owl populations is largely due to changes in their main food source: lemmings.

Lemmings are common in arctic and tundra regions and are a staple food for many arctic predators.

Global warming and climate change are causing changes in the Arctic environment, causing lemming populations to fluctuate and collapse. This has knock-on effects, proving to be the snowy owl’s most significant threat. Research in Greenland confirms that snowy owls are dependent on lemming populations that have all but collapsed in some parts of the world.

How Are Humans Affecting Snowy Owls?

Humans have been directly hunting and trapping snowy owls for decades. Human settlements are driving owls from their range and disrupting their food supply.

However, humans’ greatest impact on snowy owls has been largely indirect. Human-caused climate change and global warming are melting ice sheets and causing dramatic changes to the fragile ecosystems that snowy owls and other species depend on.

Along with polar bears, penguins, seals and many other beloved cold dwellers, snowy owls are being driven to extinction by global warming.

Closeup shot of a snowy owl calling while perched on the ground

How can we help snowy owls?

Snowy owl populations are declining due to global warming and climate change. To save them, we must take the same steps needed to save thousands of other vulnerable and endangered species.

The long-standing role of human activity in global warming must change. Slowing and reversing global warming will take a huge effort, but if everyone contributes, this seemingly impossible task will become possible.

Conserving energy, changing eating habits, reducing plastic use, recycling, and engaging in green and sustainable movements and behaviors will help snowy owls and thousands of other vulnerable species.

Conservation efforts, meanwhile, help stabilize snowy owl populations and protect breeding females and chicks.

Close up of a snowy owl perched on a pole

How many snowy owls are there in the wild?

Current figures suggest that there are approximately 28,000 snowy owls (14,000 breeding pairs) in the world today, but this may be as few as 14,000.

That number has declined since before 2018, when there were an estimated 200,000 to 257,000 snowy owls in the wild. However, estimating the population is challenging due to natural year-over-year fluctuations, but the data still show rapid population decline.

Snowy owls are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

How rare is it to see a snowy owl?

Snowy owls are extremely rare to be found in the wild. Snowy owls live mainly in the cold tundra and arctic regions, although there are some sightings as far south as the US cities of Washington and Boston, northern Britain and central Europe.

On rare occasions, vagrants have been found in central and southern Europe and further south in the southern states.

Snowy owl looking for prey in the field

Which state has the most snowy owls?

Snowy owls can be found in most Canadian states at some point of the year. They breed further north in Nunavut, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and northern Quebec.

In the United States, they are most common in the Northeastern states, but can also be found in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest during the winter. They also breed in Alaska.

Which country has the most snowy owls?

Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia are home to most of the world’s snowy owls.

The arctic and arctic tundra cover a vast area near the north pole, where most snowy owls live. However, their wintering range extends southward into southern Canada, the northern United States, and parts of northern and central Europe.

Snowy Owl in the snow, Manitoba, Canada

Is it illegal to kill snowy owls?

In the United States, it is illegal under federal and state law to injure, harass, kill or possess birds of prey, including snowy owls. However, some authorities are exempt, such as airports.

However, Alaska hunting regulations allow residents of some states to hunt snowy owls in certain areas, as long as the birds are used for food or clothing.

It is also illegal to kill snowy owls in Canada and most of Europe.

Are snowy owls endangered in Canada?

Snowy owls are considered vulnerable around the world, according to the IUCN. Canada’s Canadian Status of Endangered Wildlife (COSEWIC) does not consider the bird to be endangered, but it hasn’t been re-evaluated since 1995.