Home › Aves › Strigidae › Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
SPECIES PROFILE
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Bubo
IUCN STATUS
Vulnerable
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Circumpolar Arctic tundra for breeding; irruptive winter range across southern Canada and northern US
DIET
Carnivore
HABITAT
Breeds on Arctic tundra; winters in open fields, coastlines, and airports in southern Canada and northern US during lemming crashes
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Strigiformes
FAMILY
Strigidae
GENUS
Bubo
📋 Description
SIZE
52–71 cm; 1.6–2.9 kg; wingspan up to 165 cm
COLORATION
Adults pure white (males) to white heavily barred with dark brown (females and young); large rounded yellow eyes; no ear tufts
ADAPTATIONS
Feathers on feet and bill base for Arctic insulation; asymmetric ears beneath the facial disc for precise sound location under snow
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Breeds on Arctic tundra; winters in open fields, coastlines, and airports in southern Canada and northern US during lemming crashes
DIET
Carnivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Circumpolar Arctic tundra for breeding; irruptive winter range across southern Canada and northern US
REPRODUCTION
Clutch size 3–14 eggs depending on lemming abundance; may not breed in poor lemming years; female incubates while male hunts
DIET DETAILS
Lemmings are the dietary staple — a pair raising a large brood may consume 1,500 lemmings in a season; also Arctic hares, ptarmigan, and waterfowl
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Climate change altering lemming cycles; power-line and vehicle collisions during winter irruptions; disturbance at nest sites
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Snowy Owls hunt by day in the Arctic's continuous summer sunlight; during winter irruptions they are often seen at airports or on fence posts in open farmland.
2
Project SNOWstorm has tracked Snowy Owls by satellite during irruption years and revealed previously unknown offshore hunting behaviour over the Great Lakes.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Bylot Island near Pond Inlet, NU, is one of the highest-density Snowy Owl nesting areas in the Canadian Arctic
Ottawa region, ON, is a reliable winter irruption destination with Snowy Owls on airport grasslands
Boundary Bay near Delta, BC, is a regular wintering site for Snowy Owls during irruption years
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
November to March: airports, open fields, and beaches in southern Ontario and the Prairies during irruption years; breeding near Pond Inlet, NU, in summer.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Winter irruption. Appears in southern Canada and northern US grasslands from November to March when lemming populations crash in the Arctic.
