Snowy Owl

Found in the Arctic tundra, the Snowy Owl is a stunning large white owl with black markings and yellow eyes that is mostly active during daytime. They are incredibly evolved for a cold environment with fully feathered feet and feathered nasal area to keep it warm in the cold Arctic conditions.

The female is larger and more heavily marked than the male which gives her good camouflage when she lays her eggs in melting snow on ledges. The male is smaller and purer white in colour, allowing him to swiftly move around to find prey for himself and his partner.

They feed on lemming, hares and birds up to duck size. Often when out hunting they can not purely rely on sight alone as their prey will be hidden deep under the snow, this is where their incredible sense of hearing comes into play.

The snowy owl became incredibly popular after appearing in the Harry Potter franchise as Hedwig. However, a mistake was made in the movie adaptation, Hedwig was a female owl in the books but the snowy owl used during filming was a male.