JFK Airport Workers Have Been Ordered To Shoot The Majestic Snowy Owl On Sight

Workers at New York's JFK Airport have been given orders to shoot to kill any snowy owls they see, according to NBC 4 New York.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, reportedly gave the order after one owl flew into the engine of a plane on the tarmac, an airport source told NBC.

Two of the birds were shot with a shotgun on Saturday, NBC reports.

Bird strikes can bring down planes if they damage engines badly enough, and when they're not deadly, they're expensive.

In 2012, there were more than 1,300 wildlife strikes to civil aircraft in the U.S., an FAA report found. That cost airlines $149 million, so it's easy to see why the owls are seen as a serious threat. But it's too bad, because they're beautiful creatures.

Snowy owls are remarkable for their mostly white plumage and size. Their wingspans can measure nearly 5 feet, according to National Geographic, and one bird can eat more than 1,600 lemmings a year. They also hunt rabbits, rodents, fish, and other birds.

Here's a snowy owl chick at a Russian zoo: