Snowy Owls Trail Map Snowy Owl Fast Facts their lifecycle and what Plumage varies between male and female Snowy Owls– males brings them to are dark brown and barred but get whiter as they age, and Sachuest Point females are heavily barred. National Wildlife Refuge Body Length: 20.5 – 28 inches Wingspan: 49.6 – 57.1 inches Weight: 3.5 – 6.5 pounds Snowy Owls are more diurnal, or active during the day than most other species of owl, but have also been documented hunting at night, including over open ocean! Snowy Owls prefer open, treeless habitat and commonly hunt from the ground. Snowy Owls have a diet Hiking Trails primarily of small mammals, Flint Point Loop - 1.4 miles such as lemmings, but this can Mild terrain and barrier free range to include rabbits, geese, Ocean View Loop - 1.5 miles seabirds, and everything in between. Medium terrain Price Neck Overlook - .1 miles Snowy Owls are fiercely Rugged terrain territorial and have been observed attacking other owls, Shoreline Access Photo Credit: Bob Weaver large predators like wolves, and Observation platform even humans! Snowy Owls – The Irruptive Migrant What can you do? In North America during an irruption year, Snowy Migration is stressful! Minimize Owls can be found during the winter throughout disturbance and additional stress to southeastern Canada, the upper Great Lakes these magnificent birds and the area and New England. habitats they rely on for survival by: staying on the marked trails; Irruption observing and taking pictures from a distance; During winters where an refraining from calling to, whistling adequate food supply is available, Photo Credit: Rey Larsen at, or otherwise disturbing the birds; Snowy Owls will stay within their following all Refuge regulations as average range. An irruption will well as the American Birding occur when food supplies are low, Association “Code of Birding Ethics” forcing Snowy Owls to migrate (both of which are available in the further south in search of food, even Sachuest Point Visitor Center); as far as Texas or Bermuda! and, keeping in mind that, if the birds react to your presence, you’re So what does that mean for the Snowy probably too close! Owls we see in New England? Snowy Owls, and all other migratory Snowy Owl populations are dependent on the available birds are protected by federal law from food supply. Summer breeding seasons with an any form of harm or harassment. Report abundance of prey often result in a population increase. any violations you observe directly to Some biologists believe that after the initial boom in the Refuge staff or volunteers. food source has ended, many of the immature owls will travel even farther south during the winter to find Together we can protect your resources elsewhere. As a result, the majority of Snowy Sachuest Point National Wildlife Owls we see in Rhode Island are young, inexperienced Refuge and the species that call birds that, in addition to statistically this special place home. having a high mortality rate, are also extremely susceptible to disturbance, Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge especially from human activities. Phone: (401) 847-5511 Fax: (401) 846-4374 E-Mail: [email protected] .