Snowy owl

The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. These birds live in the cold Arctic areas of both North America and the Palearctic, where they breed on the open tundra.

Unlike most owls, snowy owls are often active during the day, especially in the summer.

Snowy owls are special because they are one of the largest owl species and the only owl with mostly white feathers. Males are usually a pure white, while females have more brown spots. These owls hunt both during the day and night, and they depend on small animals like lemmings to raise their families. However, when lemmings are hard to find, they can eat many other things, such as small mammals, water birds, and even carrion.

Snowy owls do not stay in one place. They move around a lot, sometimes traveling far south when food is scarce.

Recently, scientists have noticed that the number of snowy owls is getting smaller. Today there may be fewer than 100,000, possibly because of changes in the environment linked to global warming.

Taxonomy

The snowy owl was first described by the scientist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It was originally named Strix scandiaca. The name Bubo means "horned owl" in Latin, and scandiacus refers to Scandinavia.

Genetic studies show that snowy owls are closely related to other owls called horned owls, especially the great horned owl. They share a common ancestor and have similar traits. Scientists talk about whether snowy owls should be in their own genus or grouped with other Bubo owls.

Description

The snowy owl looks mostly white, like a pale rock or a piece of snow. They have bright yellow eyes and usually no ear tufts, though very short tufts can sometimes be seen, especially in females on the nest. Females often have more dark spots and bars than males, making them look darker.

Snowy owls are large, with females usually bigger than males. They have thickly feathered white toes and black claws. They fly steadily and can be agile when chasing prey. Even though they have some noise-canceling feathers, their flight can sometimes be heard up close. Their eyes are large but not as good for night vision as some other owls, though they can see well from far away.

Distribution and habitat

The snowy owl lives in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. They mainly breed on the tundra. These owls move around and sometimes breed farther south if their food changes. Their breeding range includes parts of Alaska, northern Canada, and northern Russia. They have been seen in rare places like Scotland and Iceland.

During winter, snowy owls fly south to areas with open spaces such as grasslands, farms, and airports. They like flat, open areas that remind them of the Arctic. Some snowy owls have been seen as far south as Georgia, Texas, and even Hawaii during years when they move farther south. These owls also live near coasts and water, where they hunt for food.

Behavior

Snowy owls are active during both the day and night, depending on the season. In the Arctic summer, they are most active during twilight. In winter, they often rest during the day and become active around nightfall. These owls are well adapted to cold temperatures and can survive in conditions as low as minus 62.5 degrees Celsius.

Snowy owls usually walk or run on the ground and can fly with strong wingbeats. They sometimes perch on rocks, poles, or buildings. They are capable of quick movements when hunting. These owls may sometimes fight with each other, but they generally stay alone or in small groups during winter. Their search for food can take them far from their nesting areas.

Diet and hunting

Snowy owls hunt at many times of the day or night, but they avoid hunting during very bad weather. In the summer, they hunt during what would be night in other places. These owls catch their food on the ground and often swallow small animals whole. They later spit out things like bones or feathers that they cannot digest.

Snowy owls are special because they hunt during the day and from the ground, unlike many other owls. They can see their prey from far away and often watch from a high spot before moving quickly to catch it. They eat a variety of animals, including small mammals like lemmings, birds, and sometimes even other predators. In different places and seasons, their diet changes based on what food is available.

During summer, lemmings are a major part of their diet, but they also eat birds and other small animals when lemmings are scarce. In winter, they eat more birds and other types of prey, depending on where they are. Snowy owls are adaptable and can find food in many different environments, from Arctic tundra to places far from their usual homes.

Breeding

Snowy owls usually mate during one breeding season. In some places, like Baffin Island, one male has been seen mating with two females. These owls pick a spot in the open tundra to make their nest, often choosing a dry spot that is easy to see.

They lay their eggs on the ground, usually from early May to early June. A typical nest might have around seven to nine eggs, though some nests have had up to sixteen. The female sits on the eggs while the male brings food. The eggs hatch after about thirty-two days, and the baby owls start learning to fly after about six weeks.

Longevity

The snowy owl can live a long time for a bird. In captivity, they can live up to 25 to 30 years. In the wild, they usually live around 10 years. One snowy owl was banded in Massachusetts and found 23 years and 10 months later in Montana.

We used to think that snowy owls often died from hunger, but studies show many survive the winter. Some return to the same areas each year. Most snowy owls found dead in the northern Great Plains died from accidents, like hitting cars or getting shocked by electricity, instead of starvation. Some owls even survived injuries and healed.

Status

The snowy owl's population depends on food, especially lemmings. When lemmings are plentiful, snowy owls can seem common, but their numbers are hard to estimate because they move around a lot. In Scandinavia, the population has always been small, with only a few pairs in countries like Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

Recently, Sweden proposed classifying the snowy owl as “extinct” there because no nesting has been observed since 2015. However, in other areas like European Russia and Greenland, there are still some snowy owls.

Human activities and climate change threaten snowy owls. Collisions with airplanes, vehicles, and buildings, as well as hunting, have reduced their numbers. Climate change is also a concern because it affects lemming populations, the owl’s main food source.

In popular culture

The snowy owl appears in the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling, and the films based on them. In the stories, a female snowy owl named Hedwig is the pet of the main character.

In Quebec, the snowy owl is an important symbol. In French, it is called harfang des neiges.