The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus),also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl is a large, white owl of the true owl family.Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mostly on the tundra.It has a number of unique adaptations to its habitat and lifestyle, which are quite distinct from other extant owls.One of the largest species of owl, it is the only owl with mainly white plumage.
Description: The snowy owl is mostly white. They are purer white than predatory mammals like polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).Often when seen in the field, these owls can resemble a pale rock or a lump of snow on the ground.It usually appears to lack ear tufts but very short (and probably vestigial) tufts can be erected in some situations, perhaps most frequently by the female when she is sitting on the nest.The ear tufts measure about 20 to 25 mm (0.79 to 0.98 in) and consist of about 10 small feathers.The snowy owl has bright yellow eyes.[8] The head is relatively small and, even for the relatively simply adapted hearing mechanism of a Bubo owl, the facial disc is shallow and the ear is uncomplicated.1 male had ear slits of merely 21 mm × 14 mm (0.83 in × 0.55 in) on left and 21 mm × 14.5 mm (0.83 in × 0.57 in) on the right. Females are almost invariably more duskily patterned than like-age males.
Breeding range: The snowy owl is typically found in the northern circumpolar region, where it makes its summer home north of latitude 60° north though sometimes down to 55 degrees north.However, it is a particularly nomadic bird, and because population fluctuations in its prey species can force it to relocate, it has been known to breed at more southerly latitudes. Although the total breeding range includes a little over 12,000,000 km2 (4,600,000 sq mi), only about 1,300,000 km2 (500,000 sq mi) have a high probability of breeding, i.e. breeding at no more than 3–9-year intervals.Snowy owls nest in the Arctic tundra of the northernmost stretches of Alaska, Northern Canada, and the Euro-Siberian region.
Habitat: Snowy owls are one of the best known inhabitants of the open Arctic tundra. Frequently, the earth in snowy owl breeding grounds is covered with mosses, lichens and some rocks. Often the species preferentially occurs in areas with some rising elevation such as hummocks, knolls, ridges, bluffs and rocky outcrops. Some of these rises in the tundra are created by glacial deposits.The ground is usually rather dry in tundra but in some areas of the southern tundra can also be quite marshy.Not infrequently.
They will also use areas of varied coastal habitat, often tidal flats, as a breeding site.Breeding sites are usually at low elevations, usually less than 300 m (980 ft) above sea level, but when breeding to the south in inland mountains, such as in Norway, they may nest at as high as 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Outside the breeding season, snowy owls may occupy nearly any open landscape.Typically wintering sites are rather windswept with meager cover.These open areas can include coastal dunes, other coastal spots, lakeshores, islands, moorlands, steppes, meadows, prairies, other extensive grasslands and rather shrubby areas of the Subarctic. These may be favored due to their vague similarity to the flat openness of the tundra.
Behavior: Snowy owls may be active to some extent at both day, from dawn to dusk, and night.Snowy owls have been seen to be active even during the very brief winter daytime in the northern winter.During the Arctic summer, snowy owls may tend to peak in activity during the twilight that is the darkest time available given the lack of full nightfall.Reportedly, the peak time of activity during summer is between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am in Norway.The peak time of activity for those owls that once nested on Fetlar was reported between 10:00 and 11:00 pm. According to one authority, the least active times are at noon and midnight. As days become longer near autumn in Utqiaġvik, the snowy owls in the tundra become more active around nightfall and can often be seen resting during the day, especially if it is raining.
Status: This species presence and numbers is dependent on amount of food available. In “lemming years”, snowy owls can appear to be quite abundant in habitat.Numbers of snowy owls are difficult to estimate even within studies that take place over decades due to the nomadic nature of adults.The population of Scandinavia has long been perceived as very small and ephemeral with Finland holding 0–100 pairs; Norway holding 1–20 pairs and Sweden holding 1–50 pairs.A low breeding population within European Russia has been estimated to hold 1,300–4,500 pairs and Greenland to have 500–1,000 pairs.Other than northern part of the American continent, a majority of the snowy owl’s breeding range is in northern Russia.
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