The Life of Animals | Snowy Owl | This yellow-eyed, black billed white bird is easily recognizable. Also, these birds can weigh anywhere from 1.6 to 3 kilograms (3.5 to 6.6 lb). It is one of the largest species of owl in North America and is on average the heaviest owl species. 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, Feathered Heavily taloned feet, and coloration render the Snowy Owl well-adapted for life north of the Arctic Circle. Snowy Owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking crick-crick; the female also has a softer mewling pyee pyee-or-Prek Prek.
This powerful bird relies primarily on lemmings and other small rodents for food during the breeding season, but at times of low prey density, or Ptarmigan during the nesting period, They may switch to favoring juvenile Ptarmigan. Some of the larger mammal prey includes Hares, muskrats, marmots, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, prairie dogs, rats, moles, and entrapped furbearers. Birds preyed upon include Ptarmigan, grouse other ducks, geese, shorebirds, Pheasants, grouse, Coots, grebes, Gulls, songbirds, raptors and other events, Including other owl species. Snowy Owls are also known to eat fish and carrion.
Snowy Owls, like many other birds, swallow small prey Their whole. Biologists frequently examine these pellets to determine the quantity and types of prey the birds have eaten. When large prey are eaten in small pieces, pellets will not be produced. During the nesting season, the Owls regularly defend against arctic foxes Their nests, corvids and swift flying jaegers as well as dogs, gray wolves and avian predators. Both sexes attack approaching predators, dive-bombing them and Engaging in distraction displays to draw the predator away from a nest. Some species nesting near snowy owl nests, Such as the snow goose, seem to benefit from the protection of snowy owls That drive competing predators out of the area.
