{"id":8003,"date":"2023-04-27T14:39:09","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T12:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/?post_type=animal&p=8003"},"modified":"2026-04-17T11:37:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T09:37:48","slug":"snowy-owl","status":"publish","type":"animal","link":"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/en\/animals\/snowy-owl\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowy Owl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Taxonomy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u25a0 Phylum: Chordata \u2013 chordates
\u25a0 Class: Aves \u2013 birds
\u25a0 Order: Strigiformes \u2013 owls
\u25a0 Family: Strigidae \u2013 typical owls
\u25a0 Species:\u00a0Bubo scandiacus<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Snowy Owl<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
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\n\n \n
\n
\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n
\n IUCN Red List: Vulnerable <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n
\n CITES II <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n\n

Distribution and habitat<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The snowy owl is found in the Northern Hemisphere \u2014 in Eurasia, North America, and Greenland. The owls live in tundra habitats, nesting closer to the coasts during the breeding season. In Latvia, they are very rare visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Adaptions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A large owl species, with females generally larger than males. The body length of males ranges from 55\u201364 cm, while females measure 60\u201370 cm. Males weigh between 700 and 2500 g, and females between 780 and 2950 g. The wingspan varies from 150 to 170 cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Males and females differ in plumage coloration. Males are almost entirely white, while females are white with black spots. The mottled pattern helps camouflage the female in the tundra during the nesting season, when most of the snow has melted. The snowy owl\u2019s plumage provides excellent insulation \u2014 thick feathers cover the bird from its toes to its beak. They spend much of their time sitting on the ground and observing their surroundings. Snowy owls are territorial and spend most of their lives alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Snowy owls hunt small mammals, especially lemmings and voles. When their usual prey is less common, the owls may also hunt birds. They search for prey while perched on a lookout (for example, a low tree), and once they spot it, they capture it in a low flight. Their sharp eyesight and hearing allow them to locate lemmings beneath the snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breeding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Snowy owls form monogamous pairs, although it has been observed that in seasons with abundant food, a male may mate with several females. The male courts the female with a display that includes dancing both in the air and on the ground. Breeding takes place from May to September. The female digs a small, simple hollow in the ground without any nesting material. She lays 3 to 11 eggs and incubates them for about a month. After hatching, both parents care for the chicks for another 2\u20133 weeks until they become independent and leave the nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breeding success depends on the number of lemmings available in a given season, which periodically (every 3\u20134 years) increases and decreases. The more food there is, the more chicks snowy owls raise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation and threats<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Snowy owls occupy vast territories, but their numbers are low, and populations are declining. Climate change poses a major threat, as it affects the abundance of lemmings, which in turn negatively impacts the breeding success of snowy owls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, R\u012bga ZOO began studying the fluorescence abilities of European owls. In collaboration with the University of Latvia\u2019s Faculty of Biology, the Institute of Solid State Physics, and the University of L\u2019Aquila (Italy), the research team discovered for the first time that the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) also exhibits fluorescence\u2014disproving the previous belief that this species lacked that trait. More information: https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/petijumi-un-publikacijas\/eiropas-puces\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burnie, David. 2003. Dz\u012bvnieki. Zvaigzne ABC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diaz, K. 2011. “Strix aluco” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. https:\/\/animaldiversity.org\/accounts\/Strix_aluco\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wildlife Trusts. Tawny Owl. https:\/\/www.wildlifetrusts.org\/wildlife-explorer\/birds\/birds-prey\/tawny-owl<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1898,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","inline_featured_image":false},"animal-category":[34,36,33],"animal-filter-1":[],"animal-filter-2":[],"class_list":["post-8003","animal","type-animal","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSnowy Owl - Zoo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/en\/animals\/snowy-owl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Snowy Owl - Zoo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taxonomy \u25a0 Phylum: Chordata \u2013 chordates\u25a0 Class: Aves \u2013 birds\u25a0 Order: Strigiformes \u2013 owls\u25a0 Family: Strigidae \u2013 typical owls\u25a0 Species:\u00a0Bubo scandiacus\u00a0\u2013 Snowy Owl Conservation Distribution and habitat The snowy owl is found in the Northern Hemisphere \u2014 in Eurasia, North America, and Greenland. 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