Snowy Owl
Male or very light female
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae Genus: Bubo Species: B. scandiacus
Binomial name
Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Strix scandiaca Linnaeus, 1758 Nyctea scandiaca Stephens, 1826 Download high resolution version (750x841, 144 KB)Snowy Owl. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Owl (disambiguation). ... Genera Aegolius: saw-whet owls Asio: eared owls Athene Bubo: horned owls Ciccaba Glaucidium: pygmy owls Jubula Lophostrix Micrathene: elf owls Mimizuku Nesasio Ninox Otus: scops owls Pseudoscops Pulsatrix Pyrroglaux: palau owls Sceloglaux Scotopelia Speotyto Strix: earless owls Surnia: hawk owls Uroglaux Xenoglaux Typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of... Species 17, see text The horned owls are a genus (Bubo) of 17 species of typical owls which are found in many parts of the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Year 1758 (MDCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. It is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl or the Great White Owl. Until recently, it was regarded as the sole member of a distinct genus, as Nyctea scandiaca, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data (Olsen et al. 2002) shows that it is very closely related to the horned owls in the genus Bubo. For other uses, see Owl (disambiguation). ... Genera Aegolius: saw-whet owls Asio: eared owls Athene Bubo: horned owls Ciccaba Glaucidium: pygmy owls Jubula Lophostrix Micrathene: elf owls Mimizuku Nesasio Ninox Otus: scops owls Pseudoscops Pulsatrix Pyrroglaux: palau owls Sceloglaux Scotopelia Speotyto Strix: earless owls Surnia: hawk owls Uroglaux Xenoglaux Typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is DNA which is not located in the nucleus of the cell but in the mitochondria. ... CoQ Cytochrome c reductase The Coenzyme Q - cytochrome c reductase complex, sometimes called the cytochrome bc1 complex, and at other times Complex III, is the third complex in the electron transfer chain (PDB 1KYO, EC 1. ... part of a DNA sequence A DNA sequence (sometimes genetic sequence) is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA molecule or strand, The possible letters are A, C, G, and T, representing the four nucleotide subunits of a DNA strand (adenine, cytosine, guanine... Species 17, see text The horned owls are a genus (Bubo) of 17 species of typical owls which are found in many parts of the world. ...

Description

Typical female, Korkeasaari (Finland)

This yellow-eyed white bird is easily recognizeable. It is 53-65 cm (20-26 inches) long with a 125-150 cm (50-60 in) wingspan. The adult male is virtually pure white, but females and young birds have some dark scalloping; the young are heavily barred, and dark spotting may even predominate. Its thick plumage, heavily-feathered feet, and coloration render the Snowy Owl well-adapted for life north of the Arctic Circle. Image File history File links Bubo_scandiacus. ... Image File history File links Bubo_scandiacus. ... Korkeasaari (Swedish: Högholmen) is an island in Helsinki, Finland where the countrys biggest zoo is situated. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Male sex. ... For other uses, see Female (disambiguation). ... The eye is an adaptation. ... For the fast food restaurant chain, see Arctic Circle Restaurants. ...

Snowy Owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking krek-krek-krek-krek; the female also has a softer mewling pyee-pyee-pyee-pyee or prek-prek-prek. The song is a deep repeated gawh. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances. While called clapping, it is believed this sound may actually be a clicking of the tongue, not the beak.

Behaviour

The Snowy Owl is typically found in the northern circumpolar region, where it makes its summer home north of latitude 60 degrees north. However, it is a particularly nomadic bird, and because population fluctuations in its prey species can force it to relocate, it has been known to breed at more southerly latitudes. During the last ice age, there was an Central European paleosubspecies of this bird, Bubo scandiacus gallicus, but subspecies are not recognized among the living population. Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... Prey can refer to: Look up Prey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A prey animal eaten by a predator in an act called predation. ... This article or section should be merged with Wisconsinan glaciation The Wisconsin (in North America), Weichsel (in Scandinavia), Devensian (in the British Isles) or Würm glaciation (in the Alps) is the most recent period of the Ice Age, and ended some 10,000 Before Present (BP). ... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... A chronospecies is a species which changes physically, morphologically, genetically, and/or behaviorally over time on an evolutionary scale such that the originating species and the species it becomes could not be classified as the same species had they existed at the same point in time. ...

This species of owl nests on the ground, building a scrape on top of a mound or boulder. A site with good visibility, ready access to hunting areas, and a lack of snow is chosen. Gravel bars and abandoned eagle nests may be used. Breeding occurs in May, and depending on the amount of prey available, clutch sizes range from 5 to 14 eggs, which are laid singly, approximately every other day over the course of several days. Hatching takes place approximately five weeks after laying, and the pure white young are cared for by both parents. Genera Several, see below. ...

Range

Snowy Owl in Canada

Snowy Owls winter south through Canada and northernmost Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. They have been reported as far south as Texas, Georgia, the American Gulf states, southern Russia, northern China and even the Caribbean. Between 1967 and 1975, Snowy Owls bred on the remote island of Fetlar in the Shetland Isles north of Scotland, UK. Females summered as recently as 1993, but their status in the British Isles is now that of a rare winter visitor to Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and the Cairngorms. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1200x827, 1464 KB) Summary Harfang des neiges (Bubo scandiacus), image tirée du site web du gouvernement du Québec [1]. Tout usage est permis sous la condition: Ainsi, il est « interdit dutiliser un emblème du Québec de... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1200x827, 1464 KB) Summary Harfang des neiges (Bubo scandiacus), image tirée du site web du gouvernement du Québec [1]. Tout usage est permis sous la condition: Ainsi, il est « interdit dutiliser un emblème du Québec de... For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... West Indies redirects here. ... Buildings at Houbie on Fetlar, including the primary school. ... See Shetland (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... This article is about the country. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article describes the archipelago in north-western Europe. ... For other uses, see Shetland (disambiguation). ... Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) redirects here. ... The Cairngorms: Ben Macdhui seen from Carn aMhaim This article is about the Scottish mountain range. ...

Diet

This powerful bird relies primarily on lemmings and other rodents for food, but at times of low prey density, or during the ptarmigan nesting period, they may switch to juvenile ptarmigan. As opportunistic hunters, they feed on a wide variety of small mammals and birds, but will take advantage of larger prey, frequently following traplines to find food. Nesting birds require roughly two lemmings per day, and a family may eat up to 1500 lemmings before the young birds set off to fend for themselves.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the rodent. ... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... Binomial name Lagopus mutus (Montin, 1781) The Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) is a small (31-35 cm) bird in the grouse family. ... Binomial name Lagopus mutus (Montin, 1781) The Ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) is a small (31-35 cm) bird in the grouse family. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... A trap is a device or tactic intended to harm, capture, detect, or inconvenience an intruder. ...

In popular culture

• The O RLY? owl is a Snowy Owl.
• In the 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber, Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) accidentally kills a Icelandic Snowy Owl with the cork of a bottle by launching it.
• The Snowy Owl is the official bird of Quebec.
• The Snowy Owl was depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $50 note.
• A Snowy White Owl named "Gamma" is the mascot of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta.
• The Snowy Owl is a familiar in the popular online game, Kingdom of Loathing.
• In the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Harry's owl, Hedwig, is a Snowy Owl.
  • Although female, Hedwig is played by a male owl in the Harry Potter movies because males are more thoroughly white, lacking the barring of females.
• Queen Siv and her servant Myrrthe from the "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" book series were both Snowy owls. So were Madame Plonk and The Rogue Smith of Silverveil.
• The Inuit name for the Snowy Owl is "ookpik", "okpik" or "ukpik"
  • Okpik, a cold-weather adventure program for the Boy Scouts of America
  • Abe Okpik, an Inuvialuit who was instrumental in helping Inuit obtain surnames

ORLY redirects here. ... Dumb and Dumber is a comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, released in 1994. ... James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a two-time Golden Globe Award-winning Canadian-American A-list film actor and comedian. ... For other uses, see Cork. ... Composite body, painted, and glazed bottle. ... Quebec is one of Canadas provinces, and has established several provincial symbols. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... Canadian banknotes are the banknotes of Canada, denominated in Canadian dollars (CAD). ... Millie, once mascot of the City of Brampton, is now the Brampton Arts Councils representative. ... The terms fraternity and sorority (from the Latin words and , meaning brother and sister respectively) may be used to describe many social and charitable organizations, for example the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Rotary International, Optimist International, or the Shriners. ... Phi Gamma Delta (also known as FIJI) is a collegiate social fraternity with 116 chapters and 5 colonies across the United States and Canada. ... Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) is a humorous, browser-based, multiplayer role playing game designed and operated by Asymmetric Publications, including creator Zack Jick Johnson and writer Josh Mr. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Joanne Jo Murray, née Rowling OBE[1] (born 31 July 1965),[2] who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[3] is a British writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ... Hedwig is the name of Harry Potters owl in the fictional Harry Potter series of books and films. ... Guardians of GaHoole is The New York Times bestselling book series written by Kathryn Lasky and illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. ... For other uses, see Inuit (disambiguation). ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Okpik logo Okpik, pronounced as (OOk pick) and often written as OKPIK, is the winter camping program at Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base in Ely, Minnesota, part of the Boy Scouts of Americas Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases. ... For the Boy Scouting program within the BSA, see Boy Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). ... Abe (Abraham) Ookpik [1] CM,[2] (12 January 1929 - 10 July 1997) was instrumental in helping Inuit obtain surnames rather than disc numbers. ... The Inuvialuit (Inuit language: real human beings) are Inuit people who live in the western Canadian Arctic region. ...

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Nyctea scandiaca. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 27 March 2007. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bubo scandiacus

• The Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus - Information, Pictures and call
• Cancu Ota, and a tale of Owl and Raven
• Snowy Owl Information Sheet
• Free Online Video About Snowy Owls
• Snowy Owl Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Snowy Owl Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• Stamps

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