Albina and Lisa4 hours, 34 minutes ago
Sorry about a not so happy note, but I like Snowy owls here in FL, and I've just read the article on the site of Birdlife International that Snowy Owl has been declared Regionally Extinct in Sweden, and for the first time in 20 years, the country has officially lost a bird species.
Citing from https://www.birdlife.org/news/2025/12/11/sweden-has-lost-the-snowy-owl/
"It’s hard to mistake a Snowy Owl for another bird. Big, bright white, and incredibly graceful, it’s one of the largest owls in the world. It normally nests far up in the Arctic, following the rise and fall of lemming populations. In good years, when food is plentiful, some migrate south and settle in the Swedish mountains.
But life has never been easy for this species. In the 1800s, in some parts of the world, it was among the most persecuted owls. Thousands were shot for taxidermy, and adults and eggs were hunted for food. Today, only an estimated 14,000–28,000 remain worldwide. The species is now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and its numbers continue to decline."
/.../
"Their disappearance from Sweden is more than a loss of a species. It’s a warning about how quickly Arctic ecosystems are changing. Losing them is a painful reminder of what’s at stake for biodiversity, for nature, and for conservation work in general."
Citing from https://www.birdlife.org/news/2025/12/11/sweden-has-lost-the-snowy-owl/
"It’s hard to mistake a Snowy Owl for another bird. Big, bright white, and incredibly graceful, it’s one of the largest owls in the world. It normally nests far up in the Arctic, following the rise and fall of lemming populations. In good years, when food is plentiful, some migrate south and settle in the Swedish mountains.
But life has never been easy for this species. In the 1800s, in some parts of the world, it was among the most persecuted owls. Thousands were shot for taxidermy, and adults and eggs were hunted for food. Today, only an estimated 14,000–28,000 remain worldwide. The species is now listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and its numbers continue to decline."
/.../
"Their disappearance from Sweden is more than a loss of a species. It’s a warning about how quickly Arctic ecosystems are changing. Losing them is a painful reminder of what’s at stake for biodiversity, for nature, and for conservation work in general."
