Snowy Owl

They are birds of the far north: Snowy owls live only in the northernmost regions of the world and are perfectly adapted to life in ice and snow.

Characteristics

What do snowy owls look like?

Snowy owls belong to the owl family and are close relatives of the eagle owl. They are very powerful birds: they can grow up to 66 centimeters and weigh up to 2.5 kilograms. The span of their wings is 140 to 165 centimeters.

The females are significantly larger than the males. Males and females also differ in the coloring of their plumage: while males become whiter and whiter over the course of their lives, female snowy owls have light-colored feathers with brown lines. Little Snowy Owls are grey. Typical of the owl is the round head with the large, golden-yellow eyes and the black beak.

Even the beak has feathers – but they are so tiny that they can hardly be seen from a distance. The snowy owl’s feathery ears are not very pronounced and therefore not very visible. Owls can turn their heads up to 270 degrees. This is the perfect way for them to look out for prey.

Where do snowy owls live?

Snowy owls only live in the northern hemisphere: in northern Europe, Iceland, Canada, Alaska, Siberia, and Greenland. They only live there in the extreme north, near the Arctic Circle.

Their southernmost distribution area is in the mountains of Norway. However, they are not found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, because there are no lemmings there – and lemmings are the animals’ main prey. Snowy owls live on the tundra above the tree line where there is a bog. In winter they prefer regions where the wind blows away the snow. To breed, they go to areas where snow melts quickly in spring. They inhabit habitats from sea level to 1500 meters altitude.

What types of owls are there?

Of the nearly 200 owl species worldwide, only 13 live in Europe. The eagle owl, which is very rare in this country, is closely related to the snowy owl. But he will be even bigger. The eagle owl is the largest species of owl in the world. The span of its wings can be up to 170 centimeters.

How old do snowy owls get?

Wild snowy owls live between nine and 15 years. In captivity, however, they can live up to 28 years.

Behave

How do snowy owls live?

Snowy owls are survival walkers. Their habitat is so meager that their prey is of course also rapidly shrinking. Then the snowy owl moves further south until it finds enough food again.

In this way, the snowy owl is sometimes found even in central Russia, central Asia, and the northern United States. Although snowy owls like to be active at dusk, they also hunt for prey during the day and at night. That depends on when their main prey, lemmings and grouse, are active.

When raising young, they are almost always out to get enough food. After rearing, they become loners again and roam alone through their territory, which they defend against conspecifics. Only in very severe winters do they sometimes form loose swarms. Snowy owls can withstand even the most uncomfortable weather: They often sit motionless on rocks or hills for hours and look out for prey.

This is only possible because the whole body, including feet, is covered in feathers – and the plumage of the snowy owl is longer and denser than that of any other owl. Wrapped up in this way, they are adequately protected against the cold. In addition, snowy owls can store up to 800 grams of fat, which in addition to the feathers insulates against the cold. Thanks to this layer of fat, they can survive periods of hunger.

Friends and foes of the snowy owls

Arctic foxes and skuas are the snowy owls’ only enemies. When threatened, they open their beaks, ruffle their feathers, lift their wings and hiss. If the attacker doesn’t pull away, they defend themselves with claws and beaks or pounce on their enemies in flight.

How do snowy owls reproduce?

Snowy owl’s mating season begins in winter. Males and females stay together for one season and only have one partner during this time. The males attract the females with calls and scratching movements. This is to indicate the digging of the nest hollow.

Then the male performs courtship flights, which become slower and slower until they finally drop to the ground – and quickly swing back into the air. Both birds then sing and the male lures the female to suitable breeding grounds. The male carries a dead lemming in his beak. Only when it has passed it to the female does mating take place.

Breeding takes place between rocks and hills from mid-May. The female digs a hole in the ground and lays her eggs in it. Depending on the food supply, the female lays three to eleven eggs at intervals of two days. It incubates alone and is fed by the male during this time.

After about a month, the young hatch, also at intervals of two days. So the chicks are of different ages. If there is not enough food, the youngest and smallest chicks die. Only with a rich supply of food will everyone survive. The female watches over the young in the nest while the male fetches food. The young fledge after six to seven weeks. They become sexually mature at the end of the second year of life.

How do snowy owls hunt?

Snowy owls glide almost silently through the air and surprise their prey, which they grab in flight with their claws and kill with a bite of their sharp hooked beak. If you don’t catch them the first time, they will run after their prey, flapping on the ground. Thanks to the feathers on their feet, they don’t sink into the snow.

How do snowy owls communicate?

Snowy owls are very shy and quiet birds for most of the year. The males only emit a loud squawk and a deep, barking “Hu” during the mating season. These calls can be heard miles away. Only a brighter and much quieter squawk is heard from the females. In addition, snowy owls can hiss and emit warning calls reminiscent of seagull calls.