Snowy Owl

Classification Barn Owl and Short Eared

OwlScientific Name: Bubo Scandiacus

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Strigiformes

Family: Strigidae

Genus: Nyctae

Species: Scandiaca

Physical Characteristics Size: Length 20-27 in., wingspan 41/4- 51/4 ft., weight 31/2- 61/2 lb.

Appearance: Almost all white with bars of black and brown, and yellow catlike eyes

Differences: Males are almost all white, but females have more brown spots and bars, also they are bigger then males

Distribution The Tundra (northern Alaska

and Canada)

Travels to southern Canada and northern United States in Winter

Habitat Lives mainly in open

areas

Mountains

Meadows

Fields

Conservation Status International Union for

Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Least Concerned

Population is decreasing however

When lemming supply is low, so is the number of owls

Human development threaten eco system

Reproductive Characteristics

Breed in Alaska and northernmost part of Canada between May and September

At 2-3 years old the mature bird becomes able to reproduce

Lays 7-8 eggs, depending on food supply

Hatch after 32 to 34 days

Born 2-3 inches with dark feathers

25-26 days until they can leave the nest, the parents help feed for 5 to 7 weeks

They cannot fly well until 50 days of age

Parental Care If hunting grounds are good, the

parent owls may nest in the same spot for several years

Nest directly on the ground

The female incubates the eggs while the male will gather food and protect the nest

Longevity and Mortality Longevity is up to 10 years

If in captivity they can live up to 35 years

Seasonal Patterns Nocturnal and Diurnal

The snowy owl hunts all winter Mink, weasels, fox, and hawks also

hunt all winter

Diet 3-5 lemming per

day(1600 per year)

Also eat rodents, large hares, insects, fish, small songbirds, and geese

Have very strong stomach acid, so they eat the prey whole

Predator Relationships Humans, wolves, artic foxes,

jaegers, wild dogs, and other avian predators

Human Relationships Snowy owls has played a major role

in many children books, mythology art, and movies

They are very territorial

Won’t kill you but can extremely injure you

They have very sharp talons that can cut your scalp or even blind you

Not a lot of humans live in the Artic so we are not very affected by them

Fun Facts No pigment in their feathers

The lack of pigment in their feathers allows more space for air that helps the Snowy Owl to keep the bird warmer because air is an insulation against cold weather.

Feathers with fringes that help muffle sound when they fly

Eyes Binocular vision just like humans Bony eye sockets 3 eyelids—one for blinking, one for

sleeping, and one for keeping the eye clean

Ears In different directions on their head The sound of predators reaches their ears

at different times, so they can tell the distance of the animal

Works Cited1. Allaboutbirds.org. Annual Report, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. <http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snowy_owl/id>.2. American Museum of Natural History. Birds of North America. London: Dorling `Kindersley, 2009. Print.3. Aniamls.About.com. about.com, 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. <http://animals.about.com/od/zoologyglossary/g/binocularvision.htm>.4. Animal Diversity Web ADW. Regents of the U of Michigan, 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Nyctea_scandiaca/>.5. Basic Facts about Snowy Owl. Defenders of Wildlife, 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. <http://www.defenders.org/snowy-owl/basic-facts>.6. Baughman, Mel, ed. Reference Atlas to the Birds of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2003. Print.7. Couzens, Dominic. Extreme Birds. New York: Dominic Couzens Photographs, 2008. Print.8. Hall, Derek, ed. Encyclopedia of North American Birds. San Diego: Thunder Bay, 2004. Print.9. The Internet Bird Collection IBC. N.p., 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. <http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/typical-owls-strigidae>.10. National Audubon Society. Field Guide to North American Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994. Print.11. National Geographic.com. National Geographic Society, 2005. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0212/feature6/index.html>.12. The Owl Pages. N.p., 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. <shttp://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=scandiacus>.13. The Owls of Harry Potter. Laura Erickson, 2007. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.lauraerickson.com/bird/Species/Owls/HarryPotter/HarryPotter.html>.14. Snowy Owl. N.p., 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/snowy-owl/>.