Scientific Name:   Bubo scandiacus

Length:   20.5-27.9 in (52-71 cm)

Weight:   56.4-104.1 oz (1600-2950 g)

Wingspan:   49.6-57.1 in (126-145 cm)

Nest:   The Snowy Owl female builds the nest, scraping out a shallow hollow on the bare ground and shaping it by pressing her body into the depression in the tundra, with no lining added. The process takes a few days, and the owls may reuse the nest site for many years.

Eggs:   3-11. Clutch size quite variable, with more eggs laid in years when prey is abundant. Eggs whitish, becoming nest-stained. Incubation is by female only, 31-33 days; male brings food to incubating female.

Feeding Behavior:   Most owls sleep during the day and hunt at night, but the Snowy owl is often active during the day, especially in the summertime. Snowy owls are opportunistic hunters and a variety of prey species may vary considerably, especially in winter. Their diet may include lemmings when these are available and, feeds on wide variety of prey. Takes mammals including rabbits, hares, voles, ground squirrels. In coastal areas may feed heavily on birds, including ducks, geese, grebes, murrelets, and sometimes songbirds.

Young:   Female remains with young; male brings food, female takes it and feeds them. Young may leave nest after 2-3 weeks, but not able to fly well until about 7 weeks; fed by parents up to at least 9-10 weeks.

Range:   Snowy owls are native to Arctic regions in North America and Eurasia. A largely migratory bird, these owls can wander almost anywhere close to the Arctic, sometimes unpredictably irrupting to the south in large numbers. During the winter, many Snowy owls leave the dark Arctic to migrate to regions further south.

Brief Description:   The snowy owl is mostly white with varying amounts of black or brown markings on the body and wings. They are purer white than predatory mammals like polar bears and Arctic fox. It usually appears to lack ear tufts but very short tufts can be erected in some situations. The ear tufts consist of about 10 small feathers, has bright yellow eyes, and head is relatively small and, even for the relatively simply adapted hearing.