Snow Owls are active during the daytime, from dawn to dusk
They have a direct, strong, and steady flight with deliberate,
powerful downstrokes and quick upstrokes. They make short flights,
close to the ground, from perch to perch, and usually perches
on the ground or a low post. During hot weather,
they can thermoregulate by panting and spreading their wings.
Snowy Owls are very aggressive when defending their nest.
The snowy owl is a patient hunter that perches and waits to
identify its prey before soaring off in pursuit. Snowy owls
have keen eyesight and great hearing, which can help
them find prey that is invisible under thick vegetation
or snow cover. The owls deftly snatch their quarry with
their sharp talons.
A snowy owl's preferred meal is lemmings—many lemmings.
An adult may eat more than 1,600 lemmings a year,
or three to five every day. The birds supplement their
diet with rabbits, rodents, birds, and fish.
These magnificent owls sometimes remain year-round
in their northern breeding grounds, but they are
frequent migrants to Canada, the northern United States,
Europe, and Asia.
