The Snowy Owl's White Wardrobe

The snowy owl is a large white bird native to Arctic regions, breeding mostly on the tundra. Unfussy nesters.

Most owls hunt at night, but the snowy owl is often active during the day. This happens especially in summertime.

Snowy owl is among the biggest owls alive.

Tundra-dwelling lemmings are essential prey. Breeding efforts are closely tied to their availability. Lemmings make unreliable maternity wards.

Carl Linnaeus described the snowy owl in his 1758 Systema Naturae. He mistakenly classified different plumages as separate species.

A hobby falconer in Kollnburg, Germany, bred hybrids from a male snowy owl and female Eurasian eagle-owl in 2013.

Males tend to be purer white; females show more dark brown flecks. Only 3 of 129 Russian museum specimens lacked spots.

Genetic testing indicates the snowy owl diverged from related species around 4 million years ago. Four million years perfecting that stare.