Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiaca) -- BTC Species of the Month, Feb. 2011
Did you know?
It is illegal to hunt Snowy Owls in Canada. The Snowy Owl is the official bird of Quebec. An individual adult Snowy Owl may eat three to five lemmings per day, or up to 1,600 per year.
Snowy Owl, Bruce Peninsula, ON Photo taken by BTC member, Don McIlraith
Scroll down for more on this majestic bird.
Habitat: Winters in open grasslands, along Diet: Lemmings. Lots of Lemmings. lakeshores, marshes and marine coastlines in (and other rodents, birds and foxes). southern Canada and northern US; Breeds in rocky tundra in Arctic Canada Status: Common (Secure, S5B) Weight: 1.6 - 3 kg (both sexes)
Length: 53-65 cm (both sexes)
Spotting Snowy Owls on the Niagara Escarpment:
Winter days are a great time to see Snowy Owls along the Niagara Escarpment, during their winter sojourn from northern Canada.
You may see Snowy Owls perched on poles, fences or trees in open areas or along roadsides anywhere from Niagara to Tobermory. Although they perch in trees, they live in hollowed-out holes on the ground. This bird enjoys open spaces and very rarely travels into the forested areas of its range.
This is an owl you may actually see in the daytime. Unlike other owls, Snowy Owls are diurnal; adapted to the 24 hour daylight of the Arctic, they are active and hunt during the day as well as at
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
night.
Look for them wherever you see Snow Buntings (our January Species of the Month).
Range:
Snowy Owls can live in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia year-round. However, some only stay during breeding and nesting season and then migrate to southern Canada and the northern United States. Some have even been known to travel as far down as Georgia.
Identification:
A large, mostly white bird with a rounded head, yellow eyes and a black bill.
The male Snowy Owl plumage is almost purely white.
Adult females and young birds have dark scalloping or bars. Young owlets are brown.
They are the only owl species to have feathered ankles, an adaptation to their cold environment.
Song:
The voice of the snowy owls varies. During the non-breeding season, they are relatively silent. The male Snowy Owl has a call Snowy Owl which is very harsh and sounds like a bark. The female Snowy Owl (photo credit: flickr user has a higher pitched call. When it's time for the mating season, the pe_ha45) male Snowy Owls have a loud and booming sound. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances.
Courtship, Breeding & Nesting:
Snowy Owls chose a breeding partner and usually stay together for the rest of their lives. Breeding takes place from about February to March and during courtship, the male Snowy Owl often kills a prey, usually a lemming, and holds it in his mouth to attract females.
Males defend the nest by standing guard nearby while the female incubates the eggs and broods the young. Both sexes fiercely defend the nest from approaching predators, dive-bombing them and engaging in distraction displays to draw the predator away from the nest.
Signs: Owl Pellets
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
These may look like droppings...
...but these small balls of hair and bone are actually regurgitated meals found at the base of trees where owls have been perching.
Snowy Owls swallow their small prey whole. They have no teeth to begin to break up their food.
Strong stomach juices digest the soft flesh, while the indigestible bones, teeth, fur, and feathers are rolled into oval pellets that the bird regurgitates 18 to 24 hours after feeding. Owl pellet They often regurgitate the pellets at a regular (photo credit: flickr user "The Bone Collector") perch where you can find dozens of them on the ground.
You can help protect Snowy Owl habitat on the Niagara Escarpment.
Give a Present for Preservation to symbolically adopt a Bobolink, a creature that shares its meadow habitat with the Snowy Owl (using it at different times of the year).
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]