Snowy Owl

The Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) is one of the most recognisable birds in the world — a large, predominantly white owl of the Arctic tundra. Adult males can be almost entirely white, while females and juveniles have varying amounts of dark barring. The species breeds on open Arctic tundra across the circumpolar zone, nesting on the ground on elevated mounds. Its breeding success is closely tied to the abundance of lemmings, its primary prey. In years of low lemming availability, Snowy Owls may fail to breed entirely or undergo irruptive southward movements. In the CAF region, wintering birds occasionally appear in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the Russian steppe. The global population is estimated at 14,000–28,000 mature individuals and fluctuates dramatically with prey cycles.