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Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacusOrder: STRIGIFORMES Family: True Owls (Strigidae)
Codes: Common Name: SNOW Scientific Name: BUBSCA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 686683

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy, Open landscapes, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps



Breeding Type:

Monogamous



Breeding Population:

Fairly common on breeding grounds



Egg Color:

White, nest stained



Number of Eggs:

3 - 11



Incubation Days:

31 - 34



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

Simple depression, unlined or minimally lined with moss, lichen, and plucked grass.



Migration:

Irregular



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General

Snowy Owl: Large, white owl with variable black bars and spots. Head is round and without tufts, eyes are yellow, and bill is black. Female and juvenile are more heavily marked with black.

Range and Habitat

Snowy Owl: Found mainly in the tundra of North America; sometimes driven by search for food as far south as Oklahoma, northern Alabama, and central California. Preferred habitats include lakeshores, marine coastlines, and marshes; may roost on buildings in cities and towns.

Breeding and Nesting

Snowy Owl: Three to eleven white eggs are laid in a ground nest on top of an elevated rise, mound, or boulder. May not nest during years when lemming numbers are low. Eggs are incubated for 31 to 34 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Snowy Owl: Feeds mainly on lemmings and voles, but takes whatever food is available. Usually hunts from an elevated perch during the day. Prey is captured on the ground, in the air, or snatched off the water surface.

Vocalization

Snowy Owl: Male makes a loud, booming "hoo, hoo" given as a territorial advertisement or mating call; female rarely hoots. Attack call is a guttural "krufff-guh-guh-guk"; when excited emits a loud "hooo-uh, hooo-uh, hooo-uh, wuh-wuh-wuh." Other sounds include dog-like barks, rattling cackles, shrieks, hissing, and bill snapping.

Similar Species

Snowy Owl: Barn Owl has brown eyes, pale bill, brown-tinged back, and heart-shaped facial disk. Short-Eared Owl is smaller and browner.

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Family True Owl (Strigidae)_blue
Species Bubo scandiacus
Length20 - 27 Inches
Wingspan60 Inches

Snowy Owl

Snowy Owl: Large, white owl with variable black bars and spots. The head is round and lacks tufts, eyes are yellow, and the bill is black. Feathered feet and toes provide protection from the arctic cold. Direct flap-and-glide flight with powerful, deep wingbeats. North America's only all-white owl.

● Song: "hoo-hoo", "kruff-guh-guh-guk", "hooo-uh, hoo-uh, wuh-wuh-wuh"

● Foraging & Feeding: Snowy Owl: Feeds mainly on lemmings and voles, but takes whatever food is available. Usually hunts from an elevated perch during the day. Prey is captured on the ground, in the air, or snatched off the water surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Snowy Owl: Three to eleven white eggs are laid in a ground nest on top of an elevated rise, mound, or boulder. May not nest during years when lemming numbers are low. Eggs are incubated for 31 to 34 days.

● Similar species: Snowy Owl: Barn Owl has brown eyes, pale bill, brown-tinged back, and heart-shaped facial disk. Short-Eared Owl is smaller and browner.

Flight Pattern

Direct flap and glide flight., Strong deep wing beats.
Snowy Owl Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Snowy Owl: Found mainly in the tundra of North America; sometimes driven by search for food as far south as Oklahoma, northern Alabama, and central California. Preferred habitats include lakeshores, marine coastlines, and marshes; may roost on buildings in cities and towns.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationFairly common on breeding grounds
MigrationIrregular
Weight64 Ounces
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX