Where this owl’s journey begins, mine will soon be ending. After 38 years of working with snowy owls in the wild, the 2025-2026 winter season will sadly be my last. As luck would have it, early indicators point to the possibility that this will be an irruption year.

Words cannot describe the amazing people, places, experiences, and adventures I’ve been blessed with since I began my quest to learn all I could about these iconic owls. After literally stumbling upon my first snowy owl on Summerville Pier, in Rochester, NY in 1988, each owl I’ve had the privilege of working with since remains as magical as the first.

We’ve learned so much, and yet it seems that the more we learn about them, the more we come to realize just how little we really know. Snowy owls have recently come under assault from many challenges. Warming Arctic temperatures; changes in flora, fauna, and prey dynamics; avian flu; and other hazardous environmental factors have contributed to the steady decline in snowy owls populations and breeding success over the last 25 to 30 years.

For eons, irruptions of snowy owls every 3 to 4 years, were based on prey availability at nesting locations on the Tundra. Researchers have followed this boom and bust model to calculate fluctuations in snowy populations. However, In the past seven to eight years, it’s become painfully clear that there’s no longer any steadfast equation or algorithm to determine when, or if we’ll see them from one year to the next.

Here in New York State, where the avian flu persists, the hands-on reality of our work in the field has been defined by an increasing percentage of our time and resources being devoted to the capture and safe transportation of injured or compromised owls to certified rehabilitation facilities. These are hard words to have to say but they need to be heard.

All these expenses add up quickly, once you start packing on the miles and going through equipment and supplies. I realize it’s a tough time to be asking for donations, but my promise to you is that every dime of your contribution will be utilized in the best interest of every snowy owl that passes through my hands, and those of the dedicated, passionate, and highly skilled crew of women who will be carrying on this important work, long after I’ve hung up my gear. Any unused funds will be passed on to other reputable and ongoing snowy owl research projects.

Please dare to care, and share this Facebook post widely. I remain eternally grateful for your help and support. Have a wonderful holiday season.

Respectfully yours,

Tom McDonald