How Do Snowy Owls Get their Food?

October 23, 2017
1 min read

Snowy owls seek out their prey during anytime of the day and use ‘sit-and-wait’ hunting method. But most commonly, they hunt at dawn and dusk. They are highly nomadic species and so they migrate long distances in search of their favorite food: lemmings. Snowy owls are silent but extremely patient hunters. Before soaring off, they perch for hours and at times, stoop down or swivel their heads to focus at the potential prey. With its remarkable hearing and eyesight, the bird first hovers-and-scan and then swoops down from about 20 centimeters high to pounce on a vole scurrying under the snow. If the owl manages to catch it, it swallows the rodent whole with headfirst.

During breeding season, snowy owls may chase the shorebirds and grab them during flight. First, the owl perches and scans; as it spots something, it stands upright and leans its neck forwards perhaps to have a better look; then, it soars off in pursuit while flapping its wings. If the prey is small, the owl often swallows it head-first.

As the snowy owl spots its prey, it uses different hunting strategies like drift, chase, slip, drop and run.

For hunting, the owl uses two methods:

  • It may perch and scan for hours; or
  • It may hover-hunt (hover and scan) its prey, if the current of air is strong enough to withhold the owl

For grabbing its prey, the owl uses two methods:

  • sweep (getting hold of the prey one-footed as the bird drifts in the air); or
  • wallop (descends on the prey on land)

Sources:

Holt, Denver W., Matt D. Larson, Norman Smith, Dave L. Evans and David F. Parmalee. 2015. Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/snoowl1/introduction

Snowy Owl”. All About Birds: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Cornell University

Latest from Blog

Amazing Facts about Giant Pangolin

The giant pangolin is an extraordinary mammal known for its distinctive armored appearance, covered in large, overlapping scales that provide exceptional defense. Native primarily to tropical rainforests and savannas in Africa, it specializes in a diet consisting mostly of ants and termites. Its powerful, curved claws are perfectly adapted for…

How are Bats Different from other Animals?

This section focuses on how bats have uniquely adapted for flight, making them the only mammals capable of powered flight. Unlike birds or insects, bats are not only fliers—they are nocturnal mammals, which adds extra layers of complexity to their evolutionary path. Their adaptations go beyond the development of wings.…

Cane Rat (Thryonomyidae)

Cane rats are robust rodents with stocky bodies, small ears, and short tails; body covered with sharply pointed, but pliable, spiny hairs; broad, heavily built orange-colored chisel-shaped incisors, with the upper ones grooved longitudinally at the front. They will make habitats in grasslands and wooded savanna. What Do Cane Rats…

What Do Antbirds Eat?

Antbirds (Formicariidae) are small to medium-sized songbirds with short, rounded wings, a short or long tail, and a stout or slender bill slightly hooked at the tip, feed on insects on the ground or in trees or thickets; prey is usually gleaned from foliage, although some species also catch flying…

Where Do Mountain Beavers Live?

Mountain beavers do not hibernate and so are active throughout winter. They are primarily nocturnal but are frequently active for short periods during the day. Mountain Beaver Habitat Habitats used by mountain beavers vary, but are typically forests with dense patches of herbs and shrubs. This vegetation supplies not only…
Go toTop