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3 Snowy Owl Facts For Kids

navajocodetalkersadmin on December 7, 2014 - 4:00 pm in Fun Facts for Kids

The Snowy Owl is an all white owl so it is very easy to see where he got his name from however it is only the males that become completely white. Females tend to stay brownish in color with darker markings.

This majestic bird has yellow eyes which help it to see during the night when they are most active.

1. Where Do They Live?

These owls live on the Tundra in the Artic region. It is very cold where they live and they have adaptations that help them to survive in the cold. They have thick downy feathers that are covered with an extra layer of feathers.

The area that they live is treeless so they will sit on the ground or on short posts if any are available to perch and wait for their prey. They are largely nocturnal which means they sleep during the day and are up at night. There big yellow eyes help them to see in the dark at night but because of the snowy terrain of their home their amazing eyesight is not as critical as their ability to hear.

2. What Do They Eat?

Snowy Owls eat a range of food but rely most heavily on Lemmings as their main source. Lemmings are small mouse like animals. The owls hunt the Lemmings by visually tracking them and using their excellent hearing. The Snowy Owl is able to hear the lemmings move about under the ground and by listening can hear when they are about to come into sight.

They will hunt other small rodents and small animals as well.

3. The Babies

Living in the Tundra is not easy! When a female Snowy Owl lays an egg she stays with the eggs until they hatch to keep them warm. The male continues to hunt from them both while the egg is incubating. Snowy Owls mate for life, so that same pair will come together year after year to perform the ritual of creating a life and seeing it through until it can self sustain.

The babies can fly when they are about a month old but the parents will continue to take care of them until they are about 4 months old and can hunt on their own.

When the food supply is plentiful Snowy Owls can have up to 11 eggs in their nest but when the food is not as plentiful they may only have 3 or 4 eggs. It is a full time job for mom and dad to care for their young!

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