The snowy owl
Bubu scandiacus
The snowy owl is a unique owl with its white color. In Sweden it only shows up if the supply of food is good.
About:
The snowy owl is easy to recognize thanks to its unique white colour. It is strongly linked to the mountains and here in Sweden its where there is a good source of food. The snowy owl is an acutely threatened species. They are white with black flecks, but older males are completely white. This bird eats mainly small rodents but also birds, hares, grouse and ducks.
They live in pairs and the female takes care of the eggs. A litter contains 4-8 eggs, but sometimes up to 14. The nest is usually found on the ground, often in a place of elevation, where they can easily spot their prey. The snowy owl is very sensate to being disturbed during the egg laying and incubation periods
Fact
Class: Bird
Scientific name: Bubu Scandiacus
Conservation status: CE
Size: 53-65 cm long with a wingspan of 125-150 cm.
Weight: 1,8-2,5 kilo
Number of eggs: 4-8
Did you know that:
Harry Potter’s owl is called Hedwig. In the film, Hedwig is played by a male, which can be seen on the plumage which has black dots.
The snowy owl is a day-active bird.
Some snowy owl species are highly disturbance sensitive during the egg laying and hatching period and can leave the nest with a source of disturbance at a distance of 200–500 m.
During 1978 when there were a lot of rodents, several hundred pairs nested in the mountains of Väster- and Norrbotten and in 1981 five breedings were reported.
Conservation status
