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Snowy Owls | New England by the Numbers

Did you know snowy owls can live up to 32 years? Learn more tidbits and trivia about one of New England’s favorite owls. 560 snowy owls that Mass. Audubon’s Norman Smith has caught in the vicinity of Logan Airport over the past 32 years 10/22 earliest arrival of a snowy owl at Logan Airport 32 […]

Snowy owl perched on the end of a wooden post against a backdrop of blue water.

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Did you know snowy owls can live up to 32 years? Learn more tidbits and trivia about one of New England’s favorite owls.

snowy-owl-dt-46339061560 snowy owls that Mass. Audubon’s Norman Smith has caught in the vicinity of Logan Airport over the past 32 years 10/22 earliest arrival of a snowy owl at Logan Airport 32 YEARS maximum lifespan of a snowy owl 1000-3500 miles (round trip) snowy owls fly to and from their Arctic breeding grounds 7000 miles (round trip) flown by one snowy owl outfitted with a GPS transmitter at Logan Airport 179 owls Smith captured at or near Logan Airport in the winter of 2013–14 1700 acres: Logan Airport footprint, resembling Arctic tundra (minus the terminals and airplanes)
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl
Photo Credit : Paul Reeves Photography/istockphoto
23 snowy owls struck by airplanes at Logan Airport 1990–2012 -81° lowest temperature (Fahrenheit) that a snowy owl can withstand 270° range through which a snowy owl’s neck can swivel, a quarter-turn shy of all the way around  

Julia Shipley

Contributing editor Julia Shipley’s stories celebrate New Englanders’ enduring connection to place. Her long-form lyric essay, “Adam’s Mark,” was selected as one of The Boston Globe's Best New England Books of 2014.

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