Snowy owls have many nicknames because of their unique appearance: ghost owls, arctic owls, great white owls, and Scandinavian night birds, among others. However, there’s much more to them than just their looks.
For one, snowy owls have superb hearing and can detect prey under thick snow. They also have stunning yellow eyes that provide sharp vision, and unlike many owl species, snowy owls tolerate human presence.
Let’s dive deeper!
1. Snowy Owls Hunt During the Day
One of the well-known facts about owls is that they hunt at night, except for snowy owls. They hunt during the day because the Arctic has continuous daylight.
Snowy owls mainly eat small animals like lemmings and rabbits but will also hunt small birds such as ptarmigans, ducks, and geese. Using their sharp sight and hearing, they find prey and often swallow small animals whole.
Snowy owls typically eat 3-5 lemmings per day, which is their favorite food. When there isn’t enough prey, they may migrate south of their usual range, a behavior known as irruption (more on that later). This is common among other northern birds that share prey with species like weasels and foxes. In times of extreme scarcity, snowy owls can be spotted as far south as Texas and Florida.
2. They Can Turn Their Head up to 270 Degrees
Snowy owls have 14 neck bones, which is twice as many as humans, making their necks very flexible and them one of the most unique birds in the world.
They also have one point where the skull attaches to the spine (humans have two), adding more flexibility. Moreover, their neck muscles allow for greater head movement. They even have a special system in their neck veins that prevents blood flow from being cut off when they turn their heads, so they don’t faint.
This flexibility is important because owls can’t move their eyes much. They have to move their whole head instead. Their eyes face forward, like other predators, which helps them see better when hunting. This makes it important for them to be able to turn their heads a lot.
3. They Host the Irruption Event Every 3-5 Years
Snowy owls live in the northern regions, nesting on the treeless tundra above the Arctic Circle. During winter, some stay near their breeding areas, while others head south to southern Canada and the northern United States. That being said, they’re not one of the birds that migrate the farthest.
Small numbers reach Wisconsin each year, but occasionally, large numbers arrive. This is called “irruption.”
The winter of 2022-2023 marked a non-irruption year for snowy owls in the United States, making it the worst year in over a decade for spotting them in Wisconsin.
Snowy owl nesting success changes every year in the Canadian Arctic.
When lemmings abound, owls have lots of young, leading to irruptions in the United States. When lemmings dwindle, fewer young owls survive, or they may not nest at all, resulting in fewer owls moving south.
Lemming numbers likely stayed low across northern Canada in the summer of 2022.
4. Snowy Owls Aren’t Monogamous
Snowy owls usually breed from May to September. They may form pairs before leaving their winter grounds or soon after returning to the Arctic. What’s interesting is that when there’s plenty of food, males may mate with two females.
During courtship, males impress females by performing aerial displays, sometimes carrying a lemming in their talons to offer during flight.
The male picks a territory, and the female scrapes a shallow nest on the ground because snowy owls aren’t one of those birds that build the most impressive nests.
The female typically lays three to 11 eggs, more when food is abundant. Chicks hatch in about 32 to 34 days and both parents feed and protect them. The male hunts and brings food, while the female prepares it into small pieces.
Chicks leave the nest in two to three weeks but can’t fly for about a month. During this time, they walk around the Arctic, using grasses for shelter. Parents continue to feed and teach them to hunt. This proves that snowy owls care about their offspring.
5. Snowy Owls are Food Hoarders
During the breeding season, snowy owls collect and store prey. Females arrange food brought by males in a wreath-like pattern around the nest. Usually, they store about 10-15 items, but scientists have seen as many as 83 carcasses.
Males also make separate caches with about 50 lemmings at different perches. These caches ensure there’s food available when hunting is difficult.
6. They’re One of the Heaviest Owl Species
Snowy owls need a large body size and thick feathers to stay warm in the Arctic cold. So, while they’re not one of the world’s biggest birds, they’re definitely the heaviest owl species in North America. However, they’re not very heavy; on average, they weigh between 3.25 to 6.5 pounds.
They weigh between 3.25 to 6.5 pounds and their feathers make most of their weight (about 4 pounds). Males have white feathers and they’re smaller than females, while females have a mix of black and brown feathers.
7. Snowy Owls Have a Long Lifespan
Snowy owls typically live around 10 years in the wild, but they can live over 30 years in captivity. The oldest-known wild one was at least 23 years and 10 months old when she was recaptured and released during banding operations in Massachusetts in 2015.
8. They Have Natural Snowshoes
Snowy owls handle very cold temperatures well, even as low as -68.8 degrees Fahrenheit (-56 degrees Celsius), making them the world record holders among all birds for surviving in chilly weather.
The thick feathers on their feet and legs provide insulation for the cold Arctic climate. That’s how birds keep warm in winter, generally.
They also have thick pads on the bottom of their feet, acting like snowshoes to prevent sinking into the snow, and sharp talons (claws) that help them catch prey.
9. They Love Airports!
Snowy owls often appear near airport runways, especially in open areas during winter days. They perch on buildings and structures to hunt for food. However, this can be risky because they might get hurt by planes or jet engines.
To solve this problem, a Wisconsin airport made a plan to move snowy owls to safer spots. Local falconers helped by catching and relocating them carefully.
10. Snowy Owls are Endangered
IUCN reports that between 14,000 and 28,000 snowy owls roam the globe and they’re only present in northern Illinois in the winter.
In 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed them as a vulnerable species because their numbers have dropped in recent years.
Tracking snowy owls is difficult due to their wide range, but it appears their population has been steadily decreasing because of the lack of prey. That definitely puts them on the list of endangered bird species.
The number of snowy owls rises and falls with the prey populations. When there’s not enough prey in the winter, snowy owls fly further south into the lower 48 states, where they often face starvation and death.
Snowy owls also face threats from planes, cars, and powerlines. Climate change may also play a role by affecting snowmelt, which influences the start of spring.
