Birds of North America

Snowy Owl

Nyctea scandiaca

---

A male Snowy Owl diving from its perch to the field below on Wolfe Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A female Snowy Owl flying along the shores of Lake Ontario on Amherst Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A view of the wing plumage of a female Snowy Owl seen along the shores of Lake Ontario on Amherst Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A male Snowy Owl displaying its almost all white plumage, seen on Wolfe Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A Snowy Owl displaying its ability to rotate its head 180 degrees as it hunts for prey, seen on Wolfe Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A back view of a juvenile Snowy Owl perched on a Osprey nesting platform seen near the south-east corner of Amherst Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A front view of a juvenile Snowy Owl seen standing in a pasture near the south-east corner of Amherst Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A young Snowy Owl sitting in a field near Ste. Rose, Ontario, Canada.

A side view of a Snowy Owl seen perched on a fence post along a gravel road near Ste. Rose, Ontario, Canada.

A front view of a male Snowy Owl hunting from the top of a lone tree along a road on Wolfe Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Canada

---

Life, Habitat & Picture of the Snowy Owl

Name	B L	W W	W	Family	Latin Name
Snowy Owl	23" 58.42cm	52" 132.08cm	4 lb 1.82kg	Strigidae	Nyctea scandiaca

Click on the bird name below to see the habitat and range map of the

Snowy Owl

Written by: Bruce Di Labio

French: Harfang des neiges

The Snowy Owl is a high Arctic breeder. Spending most of its life in the north, this owl is well adapted to frigid, Arctic temperatures. Its body is densely feathered in down to the tips of its talons including its bill, which too is buried in feathers. Males can be very white in colouration whereas females are barred and juveniles are heavily barred. On its breeding grounds in the tundra, the Snowy Owl hunts for a variety of prey including lemmings, hares, voles, ground squirrels, ducks, gulls, grebes and some songbirds. When Arctic food sources are inadequate, southern regions in Canada and northern United States can be inundated with an influx of Snowy Owls in search of food. When southbound flights occur, this bird can be found in “tundra like” locations which offer a similar open-country habitat including, farmland, open fields, coast line, marshes or airports. In the south, they feed mainly on meadow voles, small rodents, muskrat, gulls and ducks. In the Arctic, the Snowy Owl is a ground nester and breeds during years when lemmings are abundant and may fail to breed during summers when food is in short supply. Clutch size is variable, with more eggs laid when food is available. The young are fed by parents until about 10 weeks.

Return Snowy Owl back to Owls

Return Snowy Owl back to Birds of Prey

Return Snowy Owl back to Birds of North America

---

Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB