Last year was the hottest year on record, which means we’re running out of time to curb the impacts of climate change and protect birds on the brink.
If we don’t take action to slow climate change in 2024 and beyond, the places the Snowy Owl calls home will become too warm to support them. A large swath of the United States is also projected to become unsuitable for them during the winter, meaning many people will no longer experience their magic.
Right now, more than half of U.S. birds are in decline, and that includes the Snowy Owl. Our most recent climate report showed that across all warming scenarios, the Snowy Owl has a high vulnerability status—and could lose up to 97% of their range if we don’t take action on climate change now.
We have worked to advocate for the conservation needs of the Arctic Refuge and have seen recent success! It’s extremely promising that the Department of Interior has released a critical environmental impact statement to formally recognize the conservation needs and Indigenous values connected to the Arctic Refuge.
The Department also recently issued a new conservation rule that would further protect, and hopefully expand, the Western Arctic's designated Special Areas. This landscape supports some of the most important bird habitat on the planet.
The birds we love need protection
Snowy Owls have been listed as a “vulnerable” species since 2017.
The Snowy Owl has lost 50% of its population from 1970-2019.
We are working to permanently protect important Snowy Owl habitat from oil and gas developments.
But there is still work to do. Time is of the essence to help protect birds like the Snowy Owl, and there is no better time to do everything possible to help them than right now at the start of the new year.
