Characteristics and Physical features
A snowy owl is 4 feet, seven inches in wingspan. They are large, white and round headed with yellow eyes and a black, short, strong and sharp bill. Their feet and claws are thickly covered with feathers, mostly white with narrow brown spots. Females and their young are more greatly marked than males. Most adult males are close to pure white, they can have up to three tail bands. Adult female owls have four to six tail bands. The younger owls are heavily marked with dark spotting. Young owls especially males, get whiter as they grow older. Snowy owls are usually whiter in summer, but in winter they change to brown with some dark stripping. Females are darker than males, and they never become completely white. Some snowy owls come to the arctic in the summer to live and breed, but only some remain there all year round. Birds such as ptarmigan and snowy owls live there all year round. Snowy owls live on the tundra. They remain in the arctic during winter unless their food source runs out. Their common habitat is north of Canada, Alaska. They very much prefer open spaces, tundra, grasslands or frozen lakes.
Length: 51-68.5cm for an average female
59 cm for an average male
Wingspan: 134-164cm
Weight: 1134-2000g (40-70 oz)
for an average female 1707g
for an average male 1612g
Diet
Snowy owls are omnivores and have a carnivorous diet that may include rodents, rabbits, hares, squirrels, weasels, seabirds, ducks, geese and so many more. But snowy owls prefer to eat small mammals such as lemmings which at times on the tundra may be all these birds eat. Like all other animals and birds the snowy owls diet is determined by the availability of the food in the region.
Snowy owls are well known for their good eye sight. They can view their prey on the ground from a unbelievable height and silently glide down to grab it. They like all other owls have good night vision, although snowy owls are both nocturnal and diurnal, meaning that they hunt during the day and the night. When the owl captures it's prey, it will either swallow it entirely or tear it rapidly into large pieces. The long arctic winter brings many hours of darkness, so they spend a lot of their time hunting in the darkness. Owls have great hearing. Their ears are positioned on different sides of the owls head. When they are out hunting they can hear the sounds of it's prey which reaches their ears at two different times. The different times help locate the exact distance away from the prey.
A snowy owl is 4 feet, seven inches in wingspan. They are large, white and round headed with yellow eyes and a black, short, strong and sharp bill. Their feet and claws are thickly covered with feathers, mostly white with narrow brown spots. Females and their young are more greatly marked than males. Most adult males are close to pure white, they can have up to three tail bands. Adult female owls have four to six tail bands. The younger owls are heavily marked with dark spotting. Young owls especially males, get whiter as they grow older. Snowy owls are usually whiter in summer, but in winter they change to brown with some dark stripping. Females are darker than males, and they never become completely white. Some snowy owls come to the arctic in the summer to live and breed, but only some remain there all year round. Birds such as ptarmigan and snowy owls live there all year round. Snowy owls live on the tundra. They remain in the arctic during winter unless their food source runs out. Their common habitat is north of Canada, Alaska. They very much prefer open spaces, tundra, grasslands or frozen lakes.
Length: 51-68.5cm for an average female
59 cm for an average male
Wingspan: 134-164cm
Weight: 1134-2000g (40-70 oz)
for an average female 1707g
for an average male 1612g
Diet
Snowy owls are omnivores and have a carnivorous diet that may include rodents, rabbits, hares, squirrels, weasels, seabirds, ducks, geese and so many more. But snowy owls prefer to eat small mammals such as lemmings which at times on the tundra may be all these birds eat. Like all other animals and birds the snowy owls diet is determined by the availability of the food in the region.
Snowy owls are well known for their good eye sight. They can view their prey on the ground from a unbelievable height and silently glide down to grab it. They like all other owls have good night vision, although snowy owls are both nocturnal and diurnal, meaning that they hunt during the day and the night. When the owl captures it's prey, it will either swallow it entirely or tear it rapidly into large pieces. The long arctic winter brings many hours of darkness, so they spend a lot of their time hunting in the darkness. Owls have great hearing. Their ears are positioned on different sides of the owls head. When they are out hunting they can hear the sounds of it's prey which reaches their ears at two different times. The different times help locate the exact distance away from the prey.
Behavior and life expectancy
Snowy owls spend a lot of their time sitting and can sit in the same spot for hours. From time to time they tend to swing their head or lean forward blinking their golden big eyes to get a closer look at something. They use their great vision and hearing when they hunt to focus on their prey. For example there may be a vole scurrying beneath the snow, to capture it the snowy owl will fly or even run over to pounce on it. Once it's captured they'll swallow the head first in a single gulp. They watch their prey silently on hummocks, rocks and fence post, but they tend to sit on the same perch for a long time. Their life expectancy is approximately 10 years out in he wild, and 35 years in captivity.
On breeding grounds the male owl holds an interesting mating display. The male first rises into the air with exaggerated wing beats in a heaving flight holding a lemming in his bill or talons. Then he comes back down to the ground with it's wings flapping or held in a "V" . He will then drop the prey on the ground, stand straight then lower his head and fan his tail as the female approaches. A male will defend his territory from other snowy owls by lowering his head and sticking it forward, extending his wings and raising the feathers on his neck and back to make himself appear bigger.
Why are snowy owls feet furry?
Due to the cold temperature in the arctic regions, which can reach -155 degrees F in winter. Therefore it is important for them to have well insulated feet in the region where they live. Due to the lack trees the snowy owls are forced to nests and live on the ground.
Can an owl digest the entire animal it eats?
Owls have a strong acid in their stomach therefore they are able to digest the whole prey. Although they cannot digest hair, bones and feathers but once the food is digested the owl spits out the undigested food back out as a 'pellet'.
What makes an owl fly silently?
The way the snowy owls feathers have been created, made to fit together perfectly allows them to fly without making a sound. The feathers in the front edge of the owls wings breaks up the air as it goes over it, breaking up the sound level so that when the owl flaps it's wings it's almost silent. It does this because the front edge of the wings is frayed and can break up the air.
How much does the snowy owl eat each day?
Owls help control the rodents population. They are able to eat about a dozen rodents each day. If they have owlets they would need to catch even more to feed them. They hunt during all the hours of daylight in the Arctic summer. They may eat more than 1,600 lemmings in a single year.
What sounds does the snowy owl make?
The snowy owl is generally silent during the non-breeding season. The call of the male is a loud, harsh, grating bark while the female has a similar call but higher pitched. During the breeding season males have a loud, booming "hoo hoo' as a mating attraction or call. Females barley hoot. It's attack call is a guttural "kurfff- guh-guh-guk". When the female owl is excited she may give a loud "hooo-uh" or "uuh." Other sounds are dog-like barks, ratting cackles, shrieks, hissing and bill-snapping. Nestlings "cheep" at two weeks of age, then they hiss and squeal.
How do snowy owls fly?
Snowy owls have a powerful, straight and regular flight, with powerful dives and fast highs. It carries short flights near the ground, from perch to perch. They spend most of their time on the ground since in the Arctic there are not many trees to make a home out of.
Snowy owls spend a lot of their time sitting and can sit in the same spot for hours. From time to time they tend to swing their head or lean forward blinking their golden big eyes to get a closer look at something. They use their great vision and hearing when they hunt to focus on their prey. For example there may be a vole scurrying beneath the snow, to capture it the snowy owl will fly or even run over to pounce on it. Once it's captured they'll swallow the head first in a single gulp. They watch their prey silently on hummocks, rocks and fence post, but they tend to sit on the same perch for a long time. Their life expectancy is approximately 10 years out in he wild, and 35 years in captivity.
On breeding grounds the male owl holds an interesting mating display. The male first rises into the air with exaggerated wing beats in a heaving flight holding a lemming in his bill or talons. Then he comes back down to the ground with it's wings flapping or held in a "V" . He will then drop the prey on the ground, stand straight then lower his head and fan his tail as the female approaches. A male will defend his territory from other snowy owls by lowering his head and sticking it forward, extending his wings and raising the feathers on his neck and back to make himself appear bigger.
Why are snowy owls feet furry?
Due to the cold temperature in the arctic regions, which can reach -155 degrees F in winter. Therefore it is important for them to have well insulated feet in the region where they live. Due to the lack trees the snowy owls are forced to nests and live on the ground.
Can an owl digest the entire animal it eats?
Owls have a strong acid in their stomach therefore they are able to digest the whole prey. Although they cannot digest hair, bones and feathers but once the food is digested the owl spits out the undigested food back out as a 'pellet'.
What makes an owl fly silently?
The way the snowy owls feathers have been created, made to fit together perfectly allows them to fly without making a sound. The feathers in the front edge of the owls wings breaks up the air as it goes over it, breaking up the sound level so that when the owl flaps it's wings it's almost silent. It does this because the front edge of the wings is frayed and can break up the air.
How much does the snowy owl eat each day?
Owls help control the rodents population. They are able to eat about a dozen rodents each day. If they have owlets they would need to catch even more to feed them. They hunt during all the hours of daylight in the Arctic summer. They may eat more than 1,600 lemmings in a single year.
What sounds does the snowy owl make?
The snowy owl is generally silent during the non-breeding season. The call of the male is a loud, harsh, grating bark while the female has a similar call but higher pitched. During the breeding season males have a loud, booming "hoo hoo' as a mating attraction or call. Females barley hoot. It's attack call is a guttural "kurfff- guh-guh-guk". When the female owl is excited she may give a loud "hooo-uh" or "uuh." Other sounds are dog-like barks, ratting cackles, shrieks, hissing and bill-snapping. Nestlings "cheep" at two weeks of age, then they hiss and squeal.
How do snowy owls fly?
Snowy owls have a powerful, straight and regular flight, with powerful dives and fast highs. It carries short flights near the ground, from perch to perch. They spend most of their time on the ground since in the Arctic there are not many trees to make a home out of.