Snowy owl: Difference between revisions
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==Range== |
==Range== |
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[[Image:Harfang sur neige.jpg|thumb|left|In Canada]]Snowy Owls winter south through [[Canada]] and northernmost [[Eurasia]], with irruptions occurring further south in some years. They have been reported as far south as [[Texas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], the American Gulf states, southern [[Russia]], northern [[China]] and even the [[Caribbean]]. Between 1967 and 1975, Snowy Owls bred on the remote island of [[Fetlar]] in the [[Shetland Isles]] north of [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]. Females summered as recently as [[1993]], but their status in the [[British Isles]] is now that of a rare winter visitor to [[Shetland]], the [[Outer Hebrides]] and the [[Cairngorms]]. |
[[Image:Harfang sur neige.jpg|thumb|left|In Canada]]Snowy Owls winter south through [[Canada]] and northernmost [[Eurasia]], with irruptions occurring further south in some years. They have been reported as far south as [[Texas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], the American Gulf states, southern [[Russia]], northern [[China]] and even the [[Caribbean]]. Between 1967 and 1975, Snowy Owls bred on the remote island of [[Fetlar]] in the [[Shetland Isles]] north of [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]. Females summered as recently as [[1993]], but their status in the [[British Isles]] is now that of a rare winter visitor to [[Shetland]], the [[Outer Hebrides]] and the [[Cairngorms]]. |
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==Diet== |
==Diet== |
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Revision as of 19:39, 30 April 2008
| Snowy Owl | |
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| Male or very light female | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Species: | B. scandiacus
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| Binomial name | |
| Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Strix scandiaca Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. It is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl or the Great White Owl. Until recently, it was regarded as the sole member of a distinct genus, as Nyctea scandiaca, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data (Olsen et al. 2002) shows that it is very closely related to the horned owls in the genus Bubo.
Description
This yellow-eyed white bird is easily recognizeable. It is 53-65 cm (20-26 inches) long with a 125-150 cm (50-60 in) wingspan. The adult male is virtually pure white, but females and young birds have some dark scalloping; the young are heavily barred, and dark spotting may even be predominate. Its thick plumage, heavily-feathered feet, and coloration render the Snowy Owl well-adapted for life north of the Arctic Circle.
Snowy Owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking krek-krek-krek-krek; the female also has a softer mewling pyee-pyee-pyee-pyee or prek-prek-prek. The song is a deep repeated gawh. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances. While called clapping, it is believed this sound may actually be a clicking of the tongue, not the beak.
penis
MMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Range
Snowy Owls winter south through Canada and northernmost Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. They have been reported as far south as Texas, Georgia, the American Gulf states, southern Russia, northern China and even the Caribbean. Between 1967 and 1975, Snowy Owls bred on the remote island of Fetlar in the Shetland Isles north of Scotland, UK. Females summered as recently as 1993, but their status in the British Isles is now that of a rare winter visitor to Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and the Cairngorms.
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Diet
This powerful bird relies primarily on lemmings and other rodents for food, but at times of low prey density, or during the Ptarmigan nesting period, they may switch to juvenile Ptarmigan. As opportunistic hunters, they feed on a wide variety of small mammals and birds, but will take advantage of larger prey, frequently following traplines to find food. Nesting birds require roughly two lemmings per day, and a family may eat up to 1500 lemmings before the young birds set off to fend for themselves.[1]
In popular culture
- Steve the Owl (voiced by Jonathan Katz) in Farce of the Penguins is a Snowy owl.
- The O RLY? owl is a Snowy Owl.
- In the 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber, Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) accidentally kills an Icelandic Snowy Owl with the cork of a bottle by launching it.
- The Snowy Owl is the official bird of Quebec.
- The Snowy Owl was depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $50 note [1].
- A Snowy White Owl named "Gamma" is the mascot of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta.
- The Snowy Owl is a familiar in the popular online game, Kingdom of Loathing.
- In the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Harry's owl, Hedwig, is a Snowy Owl.
- Although female, Hedwig is played by a male owl in the Harry Potter movies because males are more thoroughly white, lacking the barring of females.
- Queen Siv's servant Myrrthe from the "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" book series was a Snowy owl. So were Borron and Barran, Madame Plonk ,and The Rogue Smith of Silverveil.
- The Inuit name for the Snowy Owl is "ookpik", "okpik" or "ukpik"
- Okpik, a cold-weather adventure program for the Boy Scouts of America
- Abe Okpik, an Inuvialuit who was instrumental in helping Inuit obtain surnames
- The Snowy Owl is one of many animals featured in the 2002 game Impossible Creatures
![[1]](http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_50b.jpg){kind=link}
References
- Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
External links
- The Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus - Information, Pictures and call
- Cancu Ota, and a tale of Owl and Raven
- Snowy Owl Information Sheet
- Free Online Video About Snowy Owls
- Snowy Owl Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Snowy Owl Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Stamps