snowy owl
DESCRIPTION
Snowy Owl. Classification . Scientific Name: Bubo Scandiacus Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Strigiformes Family: Strigidae Genus: Nyctae Species: Scandiaca. Barn Owl and Short Eared O wl. Physical Characteristics . - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Snowy Owl
Classification Barn Owl and Short Eared
OwlScientific Name: Bubo Scandiacus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Nyctae
Species: Scandiaca
Physical Characteristics Size: Length 20-27 in., wingspan 41/4- 51/4 ft., weight 31/2- 61/2 lb.
Appearance: Almost all white with bars of black and brown, and yellow catlike eyes
Differences: Males are almost all white, but females have more brown spots and bars, also they are bigger then males
Distribution The Tundra (northern Alaska
and Canada)
Travels to southern Canada and northern United States in Winter
Habitat Lives mainly in open
areas
Mountains
Meadows
Fields
Conservation Status International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Least Concerned
Population is decreasing however
When lemming supply is low, so is the number of owls
Human development threaten eco system
Reproductive Characteristics
Breed in Alaska and northernmost part of Canada between May and September
At 2-3 years old the mature bird becomes able to reproduce
Lays 7-8 eggs, depending on food supply
Hatch after 32 to 34 days
Born 2-3 inches with dark feathers
25-26 days until they can leave the nest, the parents help feed for 5 to 7 weeks
They cannot fly well until 50 days of age
Parental Care If hunting grounds are good, the
parent owls may nest in the same spot for several years
Nest directly on the ground
The female incubates the eggs while the male will gather food and protect the nest
Longevity and Mortality Longevity is up to 10 years
If in captivity they can live up to 35 years
Seasonal Patterns Nocturnal and Diurnal
The snowy owl hunts all winter Mink, weasels, fox, and hawks also
hunt all winter
Diet 3-5 lemming per
day(1600 per year)
Also eat rodents, large hares, insects, fish, small songbirds, and geese
Have very strong stomach acid, so they eat the prey whole
Predator Relationships Humans, wolves, artic foxes,
jaegers, wild dogs, and other avian predators
Human Relationships Snowy owls has played a major role
in many children books, mythology art, and movies
They are very territorial
Won’t kill you but can extremely injure you
They have very sharp talons that can cut your scalp or even blind you
Not a lot of humans live in the Artic so we are not very affected by them
Fun Facts No pigment in their feathers
The lack of pigment in their feathers allows more space for air that helps the Snowy Owl to keep the bird warmer because air is an insulation against cold weather.
Feathers with fringes that help muffle sound when they fly
Eyes Binocular vision just like humans Bony eye sockets 3 eyelids—one for blinking, one for
sleeping, and one for keeping the eye clean
Ears In different directions on their head The sound of predators reaches their ears
at different times, so they can tell the distance of the animal
Works Cited1. Allaboutbirds.org. Annual Report, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. <http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snowy_owl/id>.2. American Museum of Natural History. Birds of North America. London: Dorling `Kindersley, 2009. Print.3. Aniamls.About.com. about.com, 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. <http://animals.about.com/od/zoologyglossary/g/binocularvision.htm>.4. Animal Diversity Web ADW. Regents of the U of Michigan, 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Nyctea_scandiaca/>.5. Basic Facts about Snowy Owl. Defenders of Wildlife, 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. <http://www.defenders.org/snowy-owl/basic-facts>.6. Baughman, Mel, ed. Reference Atlas to the Birds of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2003. Print.7. Couzens, Dominic. Extreme Birds. New York: Dominic Couzens Photographs, 2008. Print.8. Hall, Derek, ed. Encyclopedia of North American Birds. San Diego: Thunder Bay, 2004. Print.9. The Internet Bird Collection IBC. N.p., 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. <http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/typical-owls-strigidae>.10. National Audubon Society. Field Guide to North American Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994. Print.11. National Geographic.com. National Geographic Society, 2005. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0212/feature6/index.html>.12. The Owl Pages. N.p., 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2013. <shttp://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=scandiacus>.13. The Owls of Harry Potter. Laura Erickson, 2007. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. <http://www.lauraerickson.com/bird/Species/Owls/HarryPotter/HarryPotter.html>.14. Snowy Owl. N.p., 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/snowy-owl/>.