In winter, many people in the Bristol Bay area have sightings of a very intriguing bird. Welcome to Field Notes. I’m Rob MacDonald, a Wildlife Biologist with the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Each winter, many of you begin seeing snowy owls. Although snowy owls may be seen here year-round, most sightings are during the winter months. In fact, snowy owls will winter as far south as the northern lower 48 states and Canada.

Snowy owls don’t appear to wander aimlessly on their wintering grounds. They prefer open country and will defend their winter territories.

Snowy owls are large and stand about two feet tall. An interesting fact is that adult males are noticeably smaller and paler than adult females. It is obvious why they are called snowy owls when you see them. They are a very clean, white color, with some brown spots and bars. When you see a snowy owl that is heavily marked, it is most likely an immature bird.

In summer, they are up in the far north on their breeding grounds, which occurs in open tundra from the tree-line to the edge of the polar seas. Snowy owls nest on windswept hummocks and boulders in the arctic barrens and can have up to 12 chicks where food is abundant. If food is scarce, snowy owls may not breed for a year or more.

The snowy owl is different than most owls in the fact that it is largely a diurnal owl. This means that it is active during the day.

Snowy owls are nomadic birds and are often unpredictable in their migration. Their movements are thought to relate to the variable abundance of lemmings, which are its main prey species.

For Field Notes, I’m Rob MacDonald.