SNOWY OWL

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WHAT IS A SNOWY WHAT
IS A SNOWY OWL??
 The snowy owl, 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.
  Conservation status: Vulnerable
(Population
decreasing) Encyclopedia of Life
 Higher classification: Horned owls
and eagle-owls
 Length: 63 – 73 cm Encyclopedia of
Life
 Mass: 2 kg Encyclopedia of Life
 Rank: Species
 Scientific name: Bubo scandiacus
 Order: Strigiformes

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

HOW RARE IS Traditionally found in more arctic areas like the tundra,
IT TO SEE A snowy owls are exceedingly scarcely seen as less then
30,000 are believed to remain across the world.
SNOWY OWL?
 FACTS ABOUT
SNOWY OWLS.
• Bristles on their beaks help them
sense nearby objects. ...
• Needing insulation from Arctic
temperatures, snowy owls have a
lot of feathers. ...
• Their feet are covered with
feathers, like fluffy slippers. ...
• They swallow small prey whole
HOW AGGRESSIVE ARE
SNOWY OWLS?
 Snowy owls are territorial and are often
vocal and aggressive when defending
their territory and young, sometimes
striking humans and even wolves that
stray near nests. Territorial behavior has
also been observed among wintering Snowy
Owls within a small area.
  Otherwise, feeds on wide variety of prey. Takes
mammals including rabbits, hares, voles, ground
squirrels. In coastal areas may feed heavily on
birds, including ducks, geese, grebes, murrelets,
WHAT DOES A and sometimes songbirds. Also may eat fish,
carrion.
SNOWY OWL EAT?  Snowy owls will eat a variety of food
including lemmings, Arctic hares, mice, ducks and
seabirds. Females remain with the young, males bring
the food and then females feed it to the owlets.
HOW MANY SNOWY
OWLS ARE LEFT IN
THE WORLD?
The exact number of snowy owls in the
wild is not known, but it is estimated
that there are fewer than 30,000 adults
remaining in North America and fewer
than 200,000 globally.
 WHY ARE THEY
CALLED SNOWY OWL?

 When you see a snowy owl, it's

clear how the bird probably got its
name: they're snow-white. Males
are generally whiter than females.
As males grow older, they get
whiter. The females never become
completely white—remaining
brownish with darker markings.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC