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Snowy Owl

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                  iSnowy Owl
           Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Strigiformes
   Family:  Strigidae
   Genus:   Bubo
   Species: B. scandiacus

                                Binomial name

   Bubo scandiacus
   (Linnaeus, 1758)

   The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large owl of the typical owl
   family Strigidae. Until recently, it was regarded as the sole member of
   a distinct genus, as Nyctea scandiaca, but genetic analysis showed that
   it is very closely related to the horned owls in the genus Bubo. It is
   also known in North America as the Arctic Owl or the Great White Owl.

   This huge yellow-eyed white bird is unmistakable. It is 53-65 cm long
   with a 125-150 cm 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.

   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 bill.

   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.

   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. 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.

   This powerful bird relies primarily on lemmings and other rodents for
   food, but at times when these prey are not available, or during the
   ptarmigan nesting period, they may switch to ptarmigan young. As
   opportunistic hunters, they feed on a wide variety of small mammals and
   birds, and 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.

   Although Sibley's North American Bird Guide, ( ISBN 1-873403-98-4)
   suggests that only starving birds hunt during the day, this is not
   correct. Healthy Snowy Owls, like Short-eared Owls, typically hunt
   during the day, though they may also hunt at night, and in the
   nightless Arctic summers, they can hardly avoid being diurnal.

   Due to their beauty, Snowy Owls are kept in captivity by wildlife
   centers, zoological gardens and by serious hobbyists. They are known to
   be sensitive to disease, stress and heat, frequently perishing during
   attempts to train a wild owl during the summer. These owls are not
   suitable for beginning raptor keepers.

Gallery

   Adult Male
   3D red_cyan glasses recommended for your viewing pleasure

                                                            Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl in popular culture

     * The Snowy Owl features in the popular Harry Potter franchise as
       Harry's animal companion Hedwig.
     * The O RLY? owl is a Snowy Owl.
     * In the 1994 film, Dumb and Dumber, Lloyd Christmas ( Jim Carrey)
       accidentally kills a 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.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_Owl"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
