Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca) is mostly white in colour with dark specks. It hunts during the daylight and is very active then as well. It is truly a snow bird as its main territory is Canada’s tundra, prairies and open fields, marshes and beaches during the winter.

Snowy Owl with Dark Patches

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

You are free to use this image both for personal and commercial use as long as a link to birdwatchingguide.org is included on the page the image is used.

The Snowy Owl is not afraid of any human activity so when it perches on a roof top, it merely watches the pedestrian traffic. When the supply of hares and lemmings is worn out, the Snowy Owl will retreat to the Northern United States for a steady supply of food. They are generally quiet but can sometimes be heard hooting, whistling, rattling and barking. The wing span of the Snowy Owl is about 125-145 cm in width with a body length of 52-70 cm.

Pair of Snowy Owls

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

You are free to use this image both for personal and commercial use as long as a link to birdwatchingguide.org is included on the page the image is used.

Pure White Snowy Owl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

You are free to use this image both for personal and commercial use as long as a link to birdwatchingguide.org is included on the page the image is used.