The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large, white-plumaged raptor and the heaviest owl species in North America, with females typically outweighing males and carrying more dark brown barring across their feathers. It breeds on open Arctic tundra across northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia, nesting directly on the ground in elevated spots with clear sightlines, and winters irregularly across southern Canada, the northern United States, and parts of northern Eurasia.
Within the Arctic tundra, Snowy Owls are closely tied to the population cycles of lemmings, which form the core of their diet during breeding season; in years of low lemming abundance, pairs may skip breeding entirely rather than attempt to raise chicks without sufficient food. The IUCN Red List classifies the species as Vulnerable, driven by climate change-related disruption to Arctic habitats, shifting prey cycles, collision with vehicles and power lines during winter irruptions, and the compounding effects of industrial development and increased human activity at the edges of the breeding range.
Snowy owls rely heavily on lemmings, consuming dozens per week during breeding season, but also take voles, hares, ducks, and shorebirds when lemming populations crash. Their survival and reproductive success are so tightly tied to lemming cycles that breeding pairs may not nest at all in low-lemming years.
Snowy owls are among the heaviest owls in North America, typically weighing 3.5 to 6.5 pounds with a wingspan reaching up to 5 feet. Females are notably larger than males and carry heavier dark barring on their plumage.
Snowy owls breed on Arctic tundra across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia, nesting directly on open ground. In winter they move south onto prairies, coastal marshes, and airport grasslands across the northern United States and southern Canada in search of prey.
Snowy owls are large, round-headed, and predominantly white, with males becoming nearly pure white with age and females retaining dark brown barring across the breast and back. Their bright yellow eyes and densely feathered feet are reliable field marks year-round.
The snowy owl is a large Arctic raptor listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a global population estimated to have declined significantly due to climate-driven shifts in tundra habitat and lemming prey cycles. It is the heaviest owl species regularly found in North America.
Adult snowy owls have few natural predators, though Arctic foxes and wolves will occasionally take injured birds, and jaegers harass nesting adults on the tundra. Eggs and owlets face greater risk from Arctic foxes, glaucous gulls, and dogs near northern communities.
No projects have listed this species yet. If you run a project that protects the Snowy Owl, you can add it to Wildlife Connect.
