Assateague, an immature male, was banded Dec. 17, 2013, on Assateague Island National Seashore on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and was the first snowy owl fitted with a transmitter by Project SNOWstorm. He was a wanderer, moving more than 150 miles in a few weeks — first circumnavigating the Delaware Bay, then crossing southern New Jersey and moving north along the coast. One of the most surprising findings from Assateague’s movements were the nocturnal hunting flights he made over open water in Delaware and Barnegat bays, often using the same channel markers and buoys as nighttime hunting perches. He was last detected in mid-February, and may have suffered a transmitter failure.
Thanks to support from hundreds of people, we put GPS transmitters on 22 Snowy Owls during the winter of 2013-14 to study their ecology and movements while on the wintering grounds. Our work is ongoing, but we remain funded entirely by contributions from individuals and birding groups. Your support will allows us to continue this important research on these beautiful birds. Please donate to this project to make it a success!