The Snowy Owl

This owl is noted for being one of the most distinctive bird species on our planet, with its beautiful white plumage and startling yellow eyes.

Owls tend to be nocturnal but the snowy owl is actually diurnal (active during the day) more specifically, they are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and at dusk.

Hunting is typially done with a watch-and-wait technique. Snowy owls perch on a regular lookout point and use their highly tuned hearing and vision to locate prey. Their hearing is so good that they can even hear prey moving under the snow. 

Spanning the northern regions of Canada, Alaska, Europe, and Russia, the tundra is a habitat generally found north of 71.2 degrees latitude.

The Arctic tundra is a harsh environment, but the snowy owl is well adapted to surviving and thriving in the cold habitat. They are quite round-bodied, which helps them maintain their body heat, and they have thick plumage. Most birds have bare legs, but the snowy owl has feathers covering its legs and feet to further insulate from the cold. Its abundant coat helps make it one of the heaviest members of the owl family.

INTERESTING FACT: snowy owls have been known to travel surprisingly long distances, far out of their normal range, such as northern California, Texas, and Oklahoma. In fact, in 2011 a Snowy Owl made it all the way to Hawaii!
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