Snowy Owl

Some other names for the Snowy Owl are Arctic Owl, Great White Owl, Ghost Owl, Ermine Owl, Tundra Ghost, Ookpik, Scandinavian Nightbird, White Terror of the North, and Highland Tundra Owl. It is the official bird of Quebec.

Description: The Snowy Owl is a large, white Owl that has a rounded head, yellow eyes and black bill. The feet are heavily feathered. They make short flights, close to the ground, from perch to perch, and usually perches on the ground or a low post. During hot weather, they cool down by panting and spreading their wings.

Size: Length 51-68½ cm, average female 66cm, male 59cm
Wingspan 137-164cm
Weight 1134-2000g, average female 1707g, male 1612g

Voice: The Snowy Owl have a loud, booming “hoo, hoo” given as a warning or mating call. Females rarely hoot. Its attack call is “krufff-guh-guh-guk”. When excited it may make a loud “hooo-uh, hooo-uh, hooo-uh, wuh-wuh-wuh”. Other sounds are dog-like barks, rattling cackles, shrieks, hissing, and bill-snapping.
Nestlings “cheep” up to 2 weeks of age, then hiss and squeal.

Hunting & Food: Snowy Owls hunt mostly in the day, although they may hunt at night as well. Prey are captured on the ground, in the air, or snatched off the surface of water bodies. Some mammal prey include mice, hares, muskrats, marmots, squirrels, rabbits, prairie dogs, rats and moles. Birds include ptarmigan, ducks, geese, shorebirds, Ring-necked Pheasants, grouse, American coots, grebes, gulls, songbirds, and Short-eared Owls. Snowy Owls will also take fish and carrion.
Snowy Owls do not hunt near their nests, so other birds, such as Snow Geese, often nest nearby to take advantage of the Owls driving off predators such as foxes.

Snowy Owls can live at least 9½ years in the wild and 35 years in captivity. Natural enemies are few – Arctic foxes and wolves prey upon them, while skuas and jaegers may take eggs or chicks.

Home: The Snowy Owl is a bird of Arctic tundra or open grasslands and fields. They sometimes appear along lakeshores, marine coastlines, marshes, and even roost on buildings in cities and towns.

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