by DJ Featherton
The snowy owl is certainly among the most majestic birds of North America, and rightfully so! With a length up to 28 inches, and a wingspan of 54-66 inches, the snowy owl is one of the largest owls in the world. These Arctic birds are unmistakable in their beautiful white plumage. The male is slightly smaller and almost all white, while the female has a distinct dark brown check covering her breast and wings. Snowy Owls are heavily feathered for warmth and have fine fur-like feathers that cover the face, beak, legs and feet. Their huge yellow eyes have a protruding upper eyelid that serves as a shade from sunlight and gives the snowy owl a relaxed and casual expression. I doubt if it fools the lemmings.
Yes, the snowy owl is very Arctic and eats lots of lemmings. During breeding season, they can be found all the way around the Arctic Circle where they nest on the ground in the open and treeless tundra. Some of these owls stay all year in their breeding area and survive temps of 60-80 degrees below zero. Others will migrate south through Canada and sometimes debut in the northern half of the U.S. Snowy owls are considered regular visitors in New York and New England but have been seen as far south as Texas and even Florida. Hmm, now that’s a smart owl that leaves the tundra to winter in Florida. A true snowbird!
Snowy owls eat voles, lemmings, other small rodents and even birds. They hunt by hovering in the air looking for prey or watching from a perch. It’s the available food that brings them south for the winter. Interestingly, airports have large flat open areas that are much like their tundra breeding area, so making a happy hunting grounds at the airport seems natural. Logan Airport in Boston has a number of snowy owls from November to April each year. They are well liked by the airport because they scare away geese and other birds that threaten the airplanes. One of my few sightings was at a small airport in Wisconsin while in college. What a treat.
My most unforgettable snowy owl experience happened in Wisconsin in the upper Mississippi valley. I was on my way to work on the Interstate when I got a glimpse of a few wingtip feathers sticking up from the plowed snow in the median. I just kept driving but was quite sure I saw a snowy owl roadkill. I had to turn around. It was well frozen, but still beautiful. I had it measured and photographed by my Audubon friends, and then had it mounted. I kept her at home for a few weeks while it scared the heck out of my dog and cat, and then followed the law by contributing this beautiful specimen to the university. What a spectacle!
Even though the snowys are out there, spotting one is a matter of luck and surprise. The best you can do is to scan a large open snowy field with short grasses and look for something white and sticking up a few feet. It just may be a snowy owl perched on the ground. Also, look over the fence posts and tree limbs. but scan the ground and you may be surprised. Once you see one, you’ll immediately know what you’re looking at. That’s exciting for any birder! Yep, thar be snowy owls out thar, fer sure!
