Snowy Owl

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Snowy Owl in the UK

A rare vagrant from the Arctic and a national rarity. More than 200 have been recorded in Britain since 1950. It is the only vagrant owl to have nested here: a pair bred on Fetlar, Shetland, from 1967 to 1975, and one or two females kept returning to the island each summer until 1993. There has been no breeding since. Records south of Shetland and mainland Scotland are infrequent, and sightings show a westerly bias that hints at birds arriving from Greenland or Canada.

Where and when to see a Snowy Owl

Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and the high Cairngorm plateau take most birds, mainly in winter and spring. Look on open moor, machair, boulder fields and airfields, where birds sit on the ground or on a rock in daylight. Further south it is exceptional: a bird on the north Norfolk coast in March 2018 drew big crowds. News comes through the bird news services.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Northern moors (very rare).
Diet: Lemmings, voles, hares.
Field note: Vagrant; dazzling white.

How to identify a Snowy Owl

Huge: bigger and far heavier than a Buzzard, with a wingspan around 1.5 metres. The head is round with no ear tufts, the eyes yellow and the feet thickly feathered. Adult males are almost pure white. Females and young birds are white with dense dark barring on the body, wings and crown, leaving a clean white face. It is active by day, sits upright on the ground for hours and flies low with deep, powerful beats and long glides.

Call and song

Silent in Britain, as a rule. On the breeding grounds males give a deep, far-carrying 'hoo, hoo' and both sexes bark and cackle near the nest. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Barn Owl: Barn Owl is the usual cause of 'white owl' reports: it is less than half the size, with a heart-shaped face, dark eyes and golden-buff upperparts.
• Short-eared Owl: Short-eared Owl also hunts open ground by day but is brown and buff with dark wrist patches and black wing tips.

Related guide UK raptors and owls.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Snowy Owl is an Epic tier bird, worth +20 points when you log one. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Eagle OwlEpic · Forest (escapee status)
• Spotted Eagle OwlLegendary · Open country (escape)
• Baikal TealEpic · Marshes (very rare)
• Baillon's CrakeEpic · Wet marsh
• Black DuckEpic · Marshes (very rare vagrant)
• Black-billed CuckooEpic · Woodland (very rare vagrant)

Snowy Owl: quick answers

Has a Snowy Owl ever been seen in the UK?

Yes. Well over 200 have been accepted since 1950, and a pair nested on Fetlar in Shetland for nine summers from 1967. Wild birds still reach Scotland, but it is now a less than annual visitor, usually one at a time.

Where can I see a Snowy Owl in the UK?

There is no reliable site. Your best chance is to follow the bird news and travel when one settles, which most often means Shetland or the Outer Hebrides. Birds on remote islands can stay for weeks. Captive Snowy Owls are widely kept, so an owl in a lowland English garden may be an escape.

What does a Snowy Owl eat?

In the Arctic it depends on lemmings and voles, and its breeding success tracks their numbers. Away from the tundra it takes whatever is available, from rabbits to birds. On Fetlar the wardens logged the prey brought to the nest and counted the island's wader chicks as part of the food supply.

Kit that helps

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