Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl is a large, powerful owl of the high Arctic, with dense, insulating white plumage that helps it survive extreme cold. Males become nearly pure white with age, while females and immature birds retain considerable dark barring across the body, giving them a more mottled appearance. Its rounded head lacks ear tufts, and its piercing yellow eyes are set within a mostly white facial disk.

Unlike most owls, Snowy Owls are frequently active during daylight hours, a trait suited to the near-continuous daylight of Arctic summers, and in winter some individuals move south into open farmland, coastal areas, and even airports, delighting birders far outside their normal Arctic range.

Key Field Marks

• Large, bulky owl with dense white plumage, more heavily barred in females and young birds
• Rounded head with no ear tufts
• Piercing yellow eyes
• Often perched conspicuously on the ground or low structures in open terrain, active by day

Similar Species

• Barn Owl: much smaller with a heart-shaped facial disk and dark eyes, found in farmland rather than tundra or winter irruption sites.
• Great Horned Owl: has prominent ear tufts and is typically much darker overall, lacking the Snowy Owl's largely white plumage.

Range

Snowy Owls breed on the Arctic tundra of North America, Greenland, and Eurasia. In winter, especially during periodic irruption years tied to lemming population cycles, they move south into southern Canada and the northern United States, occasionally reaching much farther south.

Habitat

Breeding habitat is open, treeless Arctic tundra. During winter irruptions, Snowy Owls favor open habitats that resemble tundra, including agricultural fields, coastal dunes, marshes, and airports.

Hunting

Snowy Owls hunt lemmings and other small mammals as their primary prey on the breeding grounds, switching to a broader diet including birds and other mammals in winter; they often hunt by day as well as at night, watching from a low perch or the ground before pouncing.

Voice

The male's territorial call is a deep, booming hoot, audible over long distances across open tundra; both sexes also give harsh barking and whistling calls.

Nesting

Nests are simple scrapes on the ground, typically on a slight rise offering visibility over the surrounding tundra. Clutch size varies dramatically with lemming abundance, sometimes reaching seven or more eggs in years of high prey availability.