Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca)

Size

• The snowy owl is about 60 centimetres (24 inches) long.

Appearance

• This owl is easily identified by its white plumage, round earless head and broad white wings.
• Colour ranges from pure white to white barred with varying amounts of brown to black.
• Juveniles and females are usually more heavily barred than adult males.

• Snowy owls migrate from the Arctic to Alberta and the other provinces in winter and return to the Arctic in summer.
• During winter, snowy owls are distributed throughout Alberta east of the Rockies.

Habitat

• In the Arctic, snowy owls prefer rolling hills to flat tundra, and use banks, knolls and boulders for lookouts.
• On their migration south they can often be found perched on fence posts, haystacks and buildings overlooking marshes and open farmland.

Food

• In the southern regions of its range, the majority of a snowy owl's diet includes:
  • Hares
  • Rabbits
  • Small rodents
• In the Arctic, prey includes:
  • Hares
  • Lemmings
  • Ptarmigan
• The numbers of snowy owls are largely dependent upon the rise and fall of the lemming population.

When Active

• The snowy owl is active during the day.

Breeding Behavior

• Five to eight eggs are laid in thinly lined depressions on the ground, preferably on the higher areas of the tundra.

Status

• General Status of Alberta Wild Species link to: SRDxN > Biodiversity & Stewardship > Species at Risk > General Status of Alberta Wild Species

Current management

• Like all birds of prey in Alberta, the snowy owl is protected by the provincial Wildlife Act.

• Birds
• Owls