Poles & OceansVulnerable
Snowy owl
Bubo scandiacus
A big white owl of the Arctic tundra. Unlike most owls, it hunts in daylight.
- Weight
- Up to 2.9 kg
- Size
- 1.5 m wingspan
- Lifespan
- About 10 years
- Top speed
- About 80 km/h flying
- Diet
- Carnivore
How heavy is that?
About 7% of a 40 kg kid
Where it lives
Three things to know
- One owl can eat more than 1,600 lemmings in a year.
- Thick feathers cover even its toes.
- Males get whiter as they get older.
Compare with…
- Weight
- Snowy owl2.9 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe kid weighs about 14× as much as the snowy owl
- Size
- Snowy owl1.5 mA 10-year-old kid1.4 mAbout the same
- Top speed
- Snowy owl80 km/hA 10-year-old kid20 km/hThe snowy owl is about 4× as fast as the kid
- Lifespan
- Snowy owl10 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 8× as long as the snowy owl
Food chain
- GrassProducer
- Lemming
Snowy owlThis animal
Nothing hunts a healthy adult