Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large owl with a rounded head that is of the typical owl family. They have very white feathers and black spots or bars lining their wings, back and belly, with the females showing the most marking, and males sometimes showing no marking.

The Snowy owl is the heaviest owl in North America, and has the second largest wing area among North American owls. Their beak can reach up to 2 inches long, and their legs and feet are heavily feathered. The Snowy owl lives in the Arctic tundra on rises, low-valley floors and mountain slopes and plateaus high in elevation. They also live on open grasslands or agricultural areas. They are found in North America, reaching from the northern limits of the United States and throughout the entirety of Canada and also in Siberia during the winter, and they permanently reside even further north, reaching into the Arctic regions.

This owl predates upon larger mammals, including snowshoe hares which they may swallow whole after breaking the neck, fish, lemmings and voles. They are opportunistic in their feeding and will also eat smaller mammals like mice, squirrels and prairie dogs. They often learn to enter animal traps and eat the trapped animal and the bait from the trap.