snowy owl

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Male snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca).

Female snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca).

Summer survival challenges in the Russian Arctic

snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)

Read Next

animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.

Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World

Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).

8 Birds That Can’t Fly

Hungry Pelican waiting to be fed, beak open, Australia

Why Don’t Birds Have Teeth?

Black-headed gulls perching on a roof with bird droppings, often seen in flocks around London, England, in winter time. The "black head" develops during the breeding season. (black headed, birds, guano, bird poop)

Spider monkey swinging in a tree. (primate, jungle animal)

Why Do Animals Have Tails?

Discover

Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd

Causes of the Great Depression

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2019. (Meghan Markle, British royalty)

6 Things You Should Know About Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

Space race (1957-1969) infographic between United States (U.S.) and Russia. America, Soviet Union, U.S.S.R., space exploration

Timeline of the Space Race, 1957–69

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

Calendar marking march 15th

22 Questions About Time and Timekeeping Answered

A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England

Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

snowy owl: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Orange Alert: What Caused the Colors on This Snowy Owl? • Mar. 12, 2025, 1:26 AM ET (New York Times)

Photos and Videos

Male snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca).

Female snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca).

snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)

Summer survival challenges in the Russian Arctic

See All Videos and Images →

Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.

Animal Factoids

Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

turkey vulture. vulture. Close-up of a head and beak of a Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura).

A Little Bird Told Me

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

List

Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).

8 Birds That Can’t Fly

White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. (birds)

15 of the Best Birdsongs (According to Britannica)

animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.

Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World

Demystified

Black-headed gulls perching on a roof with bird droppings, often seen in flocks around London, England, in winter time. The "black head" develops during the breeding season. (black headed, birds, guano, bird poop)

Do Birds Pee?