Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758)

52–64 cmLength2 kgWeight

This large, snow-white owl is also active by day and has a round head without ear tufts.

Busiest months: December–January · Most records: United States, Canada, Spain

Vulnerable

How to identify

Field marks

Almost pure white, with black fan-shaped spots
Head rounded and snow-white, without ear tufts
Eyes yellow, bill black
Toes densely covered in white feathers, claws black

Male, female and young

Male distinctly smaller and whiter than female; female and juvenile have more black markings.

Voice

Usually very quiet; a common call is a repeated, low “gawh”; in the breeding season the male gives repeated hoots during courtship.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December–January · Most records: United States, Canada, Spain

Snowy Owl has been recorded at 320 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Spain St. Pierre & Miquelon United Kingdom China Norway Netherlands

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mostly on the tundra. It has a number of unique adaptations to its habitat and lifestyle, which are quite distinct from other extant owls.

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