I doubt I’m alone when I say that whenever I see a snowy
owl, I can’t help but think of Hedwig from the Harry Potter books by J.K.
Rowling. In a way, Hedwig’s character has made children and adults more aware
of snowy owls in the wild. These owls are described as “the most massive
(greatest average weight) of the North American Owls and believed, by many, to
be the most powerful” (Owling.com). The males “can be entirely immaculate
white” but usually show a few “spots or bars of dark slatey brown or black on
the crown, back, wings, and/or tail.” Also,
“his under parts are generally marked with narrow bars on the abdomen, flanks,
and sides.” The female, on the other hand, is much more heavily barred in a
blackish color and considerably larger than the male. “Only her face, center
part of breast, and back of neck are unmarked white.” Compared with other owls,
both the male and female snowy owls have small, brilliant yellow iris. Snowy owls have feathered feet, large sharp
talons, and dull black bills that are almost buried in its fluffy white
feathers. And it’s almost totally silent outside its breeding grounds.
The Snowy Owl inhabits the northern tundra around the world.
Generally, the Snowy Owl inhabits “areas of low sparse vegetation, open fields,
moorland, valley floors, salt and poorly drained fresh water meadows. Its
habitat is closely associated with the distribution of small rodents and in the
case of breeding territory directly corresponds with the distribution of small
rodents (especially lemming).
In the winter months, snowy
owls are often found in farming areas with open fields of low stubble, marshes,
and even dunes” (Owling.com).
As Snowy Owls migrate south for the winter months, we may
see many more than expected. According to Sierra magazine, 2012 may be the year
of the snowy owl. This winter, researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
have witnessed increased numbers of these birds of prey venturing farther south
than usual. After summering in the northern tundra of the Arctic hunting and
nesting, snowy owls normally migrate through Canada and the northern U.S. in
the winter to search for food. Due to an abundance of prey (lemmings and small
rodents) last summer, the snowy owl population experienced a growth which
offset the predator-prey ratio. As a result, snowy owls are now experiencing
greater competition for food. Therefore, the birds must fly farther south from
their usual habitat to ensure better access to prey.
The rise in the snowy owl population is good news in itself,
but it’s also great news for birders. The chance to get a glimpse of one of the
largest owls on the planet as far south as Texas continues to occur through the
end of April. So keep your eyes peeled and cameras at the ready!
