by Gil Valo

Created on: August 07, 2011   Last Updated: August 08, 2011

Snowy owl

The large white snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) became popular because of J.K Rowling’s classic Harry Potter novels. As an apprentice magician, Harry’s owl, Hedwig appeared in several Harry Potter movies.

The United Kingdom classify the snowy owl as a former breeder; unlisted; and occasionally present in summer, and a winter visitor. Snowy owls grow to between 53 and 65cm (2026in) long and have a wing-span of 125-150cm (50-60in).

Until recently, the Great Horned Owl was considered the only member of the genus Nyctea. It led to their re-classification as genus Bubo species (Bubo scandiacus). Despite showing ear tufts, recent molecular biology advances indicate they are strongly related to the horned owls such as the Great Horned Owl. It led to their re-classification as genus Bubo species (Bubo scandiacus).

The Snowy Owl inhabits the northern limits of trees on tundra regions of northern Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska and Canada. Those lower regions of land are heavily covered with snow and ice. During winter, lemmings and hare populations are low (occurs every 4-5 years). Snowy owls migrate southwards. They have visited London in the United Kingdom (there is speculation the visit was an escaped captive bird), Bermuda in America, Pakistan and Korea.

In November 2001, a wild Snowy Owl was seen in Suffolk, a storm made it seek refuge on a container ship traveling from Quebec. Other snowy owls have been seen in Belgium and the Netherlands.

In winter 2009, the magnificent birds have been spotted in Cornwall, Alderney, and Guernsey.

Roland Gauvain, Alderney Wildlife Trust manager, said the bird had been flown off course. "Local conjecture is that with the north easterly winds experienced shortly before its arrival this might be a bird which has come down over the North Sea rather than across the Atlantic and Irish Sea," he said.

Alistair Riley, a local bird watcher has seen the owl several times in Alderney, and formed a different opinion. The snowy owl found fewer lemmings because of a hard winter, and had to fly south looking for food. "If birds are desperate for food they will head where they will find it," he said.

Riley’s viewpoint is supported by Nigel Hudson, of the British Birds Rarities Committee. "There's a chance that its food stock, which is lemmings, have plummeted, so it's trying to find extra food and has blown across the country and arrived on our shores."

The snowy owl has a reputation of visiting the British Isles,

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