Snow owls are white with dark bars and spots. Their feet are also white and feathered. The black bill is almost completely covered with feathers. They have a rounded head and yellow eyes.
FEMALE
Dark bars and spots are heavier on females.
SIZE:
Length = 52-71 cm (1.7-2.3 ft.)
Wingspan = 126-145 cm (4.1-4.75 ft.)
WEIGHT:
1.6-2.95 kg (3.5-6.5 lb.)
DIET:
Lemmings and other small rodents, rabbits, waterfowl, birds, and fishes.
INCUBATION:
CLUTCH SIZE
3-11 eggs
SEXUAL MATURITY:
no data
LIFE SPAN:
no data
RANGE:
Summer = high arctic from Alaska to Canada; also found in Greenland, Russia, and Scandinavia.
Owls' eyes look forward in a fixed position and cannot move from side to side, as the human eye can. In order to see peripherally, the owl must turn its entire head.
2.
It is a myth that owls can turn their head all the way around. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae, allowing them to move their head 270 degrees.
3.
Most owls have unique, comb like feathers that allow for silent flight. The leading edge is "fringed" so that the feathers, when moving, do not make noise when rubbing together.
4.
A single snowy owl may eat 3 to 5 lemmings a day.
5.
Snowy owls build their nest on the ground. They strongly defend their nests from predators, such as wolves.
As predators, owls play an important role in the environment by controlling small animal populations. Because mammals are a primary prey item, this can be especially beneficial to humans, reducing the amount of food lost each year to rodents.
