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==Range==
==Range==
[[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==

Revision as of 19:39, 30 April 2008

Snowy Owl
Male or very light female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
B. scandiacus
Binomial name
Bubo scandiacus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms

Strix scandiaca Linnaeus, 1758
Nyctea scandiaca Stephens, 1826

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

Typical female, Korkeasaari (Finland)

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.


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Range

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, 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]

References

  • Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.

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