It’s no wonder Harry Potter chose this owl to be his right hand man. Snowy Owls- the large, white owls of the north- appear almost magical when seen flying silently overhead. They’re quite mysterious too. Considered nomadic, these hardy hunters travel many miles in search of their favorite foods. Even the scientists who study them never know where they’ll be seen next! Snowy Owls prey mostly on rodents like lemmings, and can show up most anywhere rodent populations are high.
Unlike many other owls, Snowy owls are not nocturnal, and can be seen hunting any time of the day or night. Consider yourself lucky if you spot one though, because these owls tend to inhabit places where humans don’t live.
Snowy Owls spend their summers in the Arctic, hunting and nesting out on the tundra in places few people visit. When moving south in the winter, they don’t choose warm, sunny locations like many other migrating birds do. These snowy white raptors spend their winters where they’ll blend in- on snow-covered farmlands, dunes, or marshes. Most any flat, open land will do… as long as the hunting is good!
Maps provided by The Birds of North America Online and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
