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Habitat
Northern Asia, Europe and North America
Food
lemmings and mice
Lifetime
20 years
length
63 to 73 centimeters
Weight
1 to 2 pounds
Number of eggs
3 to 11 eggs
Incubation time
32 to 34 days
IUCN Status
fragile
EEP?
no
Asymmetrical ears
Snowy owls hunt during the day. They use not only their eyes but also their ears to locate their prey. Their hearing is so acute that they can even hear their prey moving beneath the snow. A snowy owl’s left and right ears are not at the same height. This enables them to pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from.
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Theme area: Details Matter
You’ll encounter the snowy owl in the ‘Details Matter’ theme area. Here, you’ll learn how striking patterns and clever adaptations, or an animal’s appearance, can be used to hide or, conversely, to deter predators.
A clear division of labour
As with most owls, female snowy owls are slightly larger than the males. But there is another difference. Adult males are almost entirely white. Females all have dark spots on their feathers. Snowy owls build their nests on the ground. The female keeps the eggs warm, whilst the male provides the food. The black spots help the female blend into the surroundings around the nest.