The Snowy Owl, Nyctea scandiaca,
of the family Strigidae, is a large (length: 24 inches, wingspan:
4 feet 7 inches) white owl with rounded head and yellow eyes.
Dark bars and spots are heavier on females, heaviest on young
birds. Old males may be pure white. The Snowy's habitat is open
country: tundra, dunes, marshes and fields, plains. Snowy Owls
show little fear of human activities, and so it is not uncommon
to see one perched on the roof of a building or on a highway
sign beside an airport.
The owls are usually silent in winter,
but on their breeding grounds they hoot, whistle, rattle and
bark.
The nest, found on the ground, is lined
with feathers, mosses and lichens. 
There
the female lays 5-8 white eggs.
In order to withstand the harsh northern
winters, Snowies are densely covered with feathers all the way
down to their toes.
The prey is chiefly lemmings (but Snowies
also take hares, ptarmigan, shorebirds, small ducks, and other
birds, as well as some fish). They hunt by day during the Arctic
summer, as well as at night.
The Snowy retreats from the northernmost
part of its range in winter. In years when the lemming population
plummets, Snowies may wander in winter as far south as northern
Alabama, Oklahoma and central California. These irruptives, usually
heavily barred younger birds, are often highly visible, perched
conspicuously on the ground or on low stumps, fence posts and
buildings. Snowies breed in northern Alaska and in northernmost
Canada. They winter south throughout Canada into the northern
United States, irregularly farther. They are also found in Eurasia.
The Snowy Owl plush toy shown at right
was a premium offer made to anyone who purchased 6 Audubon Birds
through Jeannie's Cottage. Now it is a part of their current
line of birds. Check the Gift Shop
to see if there are any Snowy Owls in stock.
