Snowy owl: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the snowy owl lives – recorded in 9 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Bubo scandiacus
Group	Owls
Status	Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	9 countries
Continents	Europe, North America
Class	Bird
Order	Strigiformes
Family	Strigidae

Where does the snowy owl live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the snowy owl in 9 countries and territories across Europe and North America. In Belgium it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the snowy owl endangered?

The snowy owl’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Vulnerable” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the snowy owl?

The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a bird in the order Strigiformes and the family Strigidae, genus Bubo. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the snowy owl

The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mostly on the tundra. It has a number of unique adaptations to its habitat and lifestyle, which are quite distinct from other extant owls. One of the largest species of owl, it is the only owl with mainly white plumage. Males tend to be a purer white overall while females tend to have more extensive flecks of dark brown. Juvenile male snowy owls have dark markings and may appear similar to females until maturity, at which point they typically turn whiter. The composition of brown markings about the wing, although not foolproof, is the most reliable technique for aging and sexing individual snowy owls.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Snowy owl (revision 1381006238), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q170177 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).