Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus

Snowy owls are mostly white with narrow, sparse brown bars and spots. Their golden colored eyes are rather small for an owl and their toes and claws are thickly covered with feathers. Their dark colored bills are short and strong and sharply pointed. They are among the largest North American owl species.

Height Up to 27 inches
Length 20-27 inches (wingspan of 4.5-5.5 feet)
Weight 40-70 ounces; males smaller than females

Lifespan

The oldest bird living in the wild was recorded to be 9 years and 5 months. A captive bird lived for at least 28 years.

Diet

Mainly mammals ranging from small rodents to large hares.
Also known to eat birds ranging in size from small songbirds to medium-sized geese and lemmings.  An adult owl may eat around 3 to 5 lemmings each day (1600 per year).

Population

Their local numbers are high when the lemming population they prey on is high and lower when the lemming population is low.

Range

In North America, snowy owls are found during the breeding season from the western Aleutians in Alaska to northeastern Manitoba (Churchill), northern Quebec and northern Labrador in Canada. In the winter, they can regularly be found in the northern United States. Sporadically they can be found as far south as central California as well as in Texas and Florida.

Behavior

Unlike most other owl species, snowy owls hunt mainly in the daytime. Snowy owls are highly nomadic and their movements are tied to the abundance of their primary prey species, lemmings. They are known to aggressively defend their nests and will attack those that disturb their nests.

Reproduction
Mating Season May
Gestation About 32 days for egg incubation
Clutch size Varies depending on availability of food; 3-5 eggs during times of limited food availability and 7-11 when food is plentiful.
Only females incubate the eggs. The male provides the female and young with food. The young owls begin to leave the nest around 25-26 days after hatching. They are not able to fly well until at least 50 days of age. They continue to be fed by the parents for another 5 weeks after they leave the nest.