Snow owl

Birds

Snow owl (Bubo scandiacus)

Rich gifts for the beloved

Snow owl females in the Arctic tundra deny their partner any sexual intercourse until the male feeds her with lemmings on their nesting place.They do not do this out of material greed. Lemmings are the main food of snow owls. Every three to four years however these prey animals are very scarce. Therfore the male can only find a few and eats them himself. But it would not be possible to raise the offspring like that. So there will be no fertilisation if the offspring would have to starve to death anyway.

  


Category: Birds

Size: Beak to tail 53-65 cm; wingspan 125-150 cm

Breeding duration: 32-33 days

Age: 28 years

Sexually mature: at 2 years

Reproduction: 4-8 eggs

food: lemmings and other small mammals, birds, rarely fish, insects, including carrion

habitat: arctic tundra, meadows and wet meadows, heather, marsh, salt marshes, sandy coasts

Danger: not endangered

distribution area