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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
The snowy owl makes its nest in a hollow in the ground.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Snowy owl
- Scientific name
- Bubo scandiacus
- Japanese name
- シロフクロウ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Bubo
This owl lives around the Arctic. In winter it moves south and sometimes even reaches Hokkaido, Japan.
In the Arctic summer the sun does not set even at night, so unlike most owls, it is active in the daytime.
Because there are almost no trees where it lives, it perches on blocks of ice or rocks to hunt, mainly lemmings and mice.
How the Snowy owl lives
It lays many eggs in years when prey is plentiful. It stores a thick layer of fat under its skin in autumn and becomes less active in winter.
京都市動物園札幌市円山動物園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 55–70 cm
- Weight
- 1.8–2.3 kg
- Active
- By day (diurnal)
- Diet
- Mainly lemmings and mice
- Range
- The Arctic and surrounding areas
Where the Snowy owl has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- シロフクロウ
- 简体中文
- 雪鸮
- 繁體中文
- 雪鴞
- 한국어
- 흰올빼미
- Español
- Búho nival
- Français
- Harfang des neiges
- Deutsch
- Schnee-Eule
- Português (Brasil)
- Coruja-das-neves
- Italiano
- Gufo delle nevi
- हिन्दी
- हिमउल्लू
- العربية
- بوم ثلجي
- Tiếng Việt
- Cú trắng
- Русский
- Белая сова
- Türkçe
- Kar baykuşu
- বাংলা
- তুষার পেঁচা
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — シロフクロウChecked: 2026-11-03
- よこはま動物園ズーラシア — シロフクロウChecked: 2026-11-05
- 京都市動物園 — シロフクロウChecked: 2026-11-05
- 札幌市円山動物園 — シロフクロウChecked: 2026-11-05
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Snowy owl, look for this
- Compare the female’s black spots with the male’s mostly white feathers.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
よこはま動物園ズーラシアEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Snowy owl
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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