Snowy Owl Facts

Snowy Owl Facts

There is high anticipation as we wake before dawn in preparation for a day with the Snowy Owls.

We pull on the obligatory layers of warm clothing and fumble into the van with extra hand warmers and gloves in preparation for an exciting owl adventure. We drive across the winter landscapes peering through our binoculars in search of a yellow-eyed, black beaked majestic white bird. Looking and searching for a white bird amongst white winter landscapes is not an easy task, but worth the effort to see this silent ghost from the north. It is one of the largest species of owl and, in North America, is on average the heaviest owl species. They are 20–28 inches long, and have a 49–59 inch wingspan. Snowy Owls can weigh anywhere from 3.5 to 6.6 lbs.

They can be found residing in Alaska, Canada and Eurasia. Snowy Owls fly down from the arctic region after nesting season. Most will migrate but some owls will remain at the arctic nesting site if there is reliable food source. Migrating patterns change and they have been known to migrate as far south as Florida, USA in recent years. They tend to return to the same migratory hunting grounds in winter annually and can arrive as early as November to as late as end of February. Timing and location is based on the lemming population, a main food source. They are effective hunters, consuming an average 10-12 lemmings per day and will also catch fish but their preference for hunting is to sit and wait for rodents.

Male Snowy Owls are completely white when fully mature, while female owls have barring or stripes of black feathers. They can be easily identified from one another. A female Snowy Owl may lay 9-10 eggs, with the chicks starting to hatch in the months of May and June with dark grey-brown feathers. As they mature, the dark feathers are replaced with white ones. Snowy Owls build their nest on the ground unlike other birds, and have to protect their nest from predators such as arctic fox, crows, ravens, dogs and wolves.

We look into our binoculars screening fence posts, barns and the grounds of the farmer’s fields, searching for our first snowy owl. We finally spot one, calmly perched on the peak of a barn. He has already spotted us, looking down as we look up at him. His hearing is exceptional and turns his head towards us staring with his bright yellow eyes. We slowly get out for a closer look. We get our cameras ready and wait. He gets comfortable with us in his presence and then the action takes place. With his sharp eyesight, he quickly swoops down, using he razor talons, he grabs a vole from the field within seconds. Within a blink of an eye, this graceful bird has become an expert hunter, consumed it prey, and flown back to his perch. We didn’t hear a thing, with owls you don’t hear their wings flap like other birds, they are built for silence and stealth. They are predators and silent ghosts from the north.