Snowy Owl
The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large white owl of the Arctic tundra that hunts lemmings in daylight. It is listed as Vulnerable, and its numbers swing with the cycles of its prey.
The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large white owl of the Arctic tundra that hunts lemmings in daylight. It is listed as Vulnerable, and its numbers swing with the cycles of its prey.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Snowy Owl in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Boom and Bust with Lemmings
When lemmings are abundant, snowy owls lay large clutches, and in lean years they may not breed at all. After a good breeding year, young owls may travel south in large numbers (irruptions) in search of food.
White for the Tundra
The white plumage camouflages the bird, and thick feathering on the legs and feet insulates it. The owl hunts by sight in the continuous daylight of the Arctic summer.
Climate Pressure
Changes in the tundra may affect lemming cycles and nesting. See Narwhal.
Snowy Owl at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Bubo scandiacus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Circumpolar white-plumaged tundra hunter with dark scalloped barring, golden-yellow eyes set in a flat facial disc, densely feathered feet, and comb-fringed primaries for silent flight. |
| IUCN Red List status | Vulnerable (VU), assessed 2021 |
| Main prey | Lemmings |
See Also
- Great Horned Owl — a woodland owl
- Gyrfalcon — another Arctic raptor