True owl

Snowy Owl in Rye NH 2015

• Report rights infringement
• published: 13 Jan 2015
• views: 662

Rare bird alert: Dozens of Snowy Owls spotted across the Granite State. The following footage was all shot in Rye, NH in 2015. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LwY_mWfQR6D727SbPlwf1qlAIrgAzd1 Snowy owls are back in the Seacoast. The arctic owl, known for its mostly white feathers and fierce yellow eyes, has returned this winter after causing a frenzy for bird enthusiasts. Do you remember all the Snowy Owl sightings last winter? It was a historic irruption and one of the largest ever in the Northeast, according to Pam Hunt, the Winter Editor for New Hampshire Bird Records. She’s written about the invasion in the Winter 2013-14 issue and there are photo highlights from this Snowy Owl “Extravaganza” as well as an article on what the owls were eating. The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large, white owl of the typical owl family. Snowy owls are native to Arctic regions in North America and Eurasia. Younger snowy owls start with darker plumage, which turns lighter as they get older. Males are almost all white, while females have more flecks of gray plumage. This yellow-eyed, black-beaked white bird is easily recognizable. It is 52–71 cm (20–28 in) long, with a 125–150 cm (49–59 in) wingspan. Also, these owls can weigh anywhere from 1.6 to 3 kg (3.5 to 6.6 lb). The average lifespan in the wild is 9.5 years.[4] It is one of the largest species of owl and, in North America, is on average the heaviest owl species. The adult male is virtually pure white, but females and young birds have some dark spots; the young are heavily barred, and dark spotting may even predominate. Its thick plumage, heavily feathered taloned feet, and colouration render the snowy owl well-adapted for life north of the Arctic Circle. Snowy owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking krek-krek; the female also has a softer mewling pyee-pyee or prek-prek. The song is a deep repeated gahw. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances. While called clapping, it is believed this sound may actually be a clicking of the tongue, not the beak. The snowy owl is typically found in the northern circumpolar region, where it makes its summer home north of latitude 60° north. However, it is a particularly nomadic bird, and because population fluctuations in its prey species can force it to relocate, it has been known to breed at more southerly latitudes. During the last glacial, there was a Central Europe Bubo scandiacus gallicus, but no modern subspecies are recognized. This species of owl nests on the ground, building a scrape on top of a mound or boulder. A site with good visibility is chosen, such as the top of a mound with ready access to hunting areas and a lack of snow. Gravel bars and abandoned eagle nests may be used. The female scrapes a small hollow before laying the eggs. Breeding occurs in May to June, and depending on the amount of prey available, clutch sizes range from 3 to 11 eggs, which are laid singly, approximately every other day over the course of several days. Hatching takes place approximately five weeks after laying, and the pure white young are cared for by both parents. Although the young hatch asynchronously, with the largest in the brood sometimes 10 to 15 times as heavy as the smallest, there is little sibling conflict and no evidence of siblicide. Both the male and the female defend the nest and their young from predators, sometimes by distraction displays. Males may mate with two females that may nest about a kilometre apart. Some individuals stay on the breeding grounds while others migrate. Snowy owls nest in the Arctic tundra of the northernmost stretches of Alaska, Canada, and Eurasia. They winter south through Canada and northern Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. Snowy owls are attracted to open areas like coastal dunes and prairies that appear somewhat similar to tundra. They have been reported as far south as the American states of Texas, Georgia, the American Gulf states, southernmost Russia, and northern China. In the Late Pleistocene the range expanded southward to Bulgaria (80,000–16,000 years, Kozarnika Cave, W Bulgaria). FOLLOW ME @: https://www.facebook.com/SeacoastFlash http://seacoastflash.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/SeacoastFlashNH https://twitter.com/SeacoastFlash http://instagram.com/seacoastflashnh http://seacoastflash.tumblr.com/ https://vine.co/Seacoast.Flash.NH https://www.linkedin.com/in/milescwoodworth http://www.pinterest.com/seacoastflash/ http://vimeo.com/seacoastflash https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeacoastFlash https://www.grapevinelogic.com/creator/profile/