Snowy Owl | National Geographic

snowy owls are the only birds of prey
hardy enough to live in the Arctic
year-round they rely heavily on one
major source of food lemmings and when
lemmings are plentiful the male hunts
whenever the weather allows
they store body fat for when lemmings
are scarce and can go 40 days between
meals if the lemming population plummets
snowy’s may not even attempt to raise
young
but if lemmings are plentiful as they
are this year
the owl’s may raise large broods when
the weather holds fair the male owl
hunts around the clock
he builds a stockpile of prey as a
reserve for times when fog or rain makes
hunting much more difficult and each day
his voracious offspring devour a couple
of lemmings apiece they must build their
strength quickly mortality for owlets
can run as high as 50%
those that do survive must hunt for
themselves after only a few months like
their parents they will soon take to the
air soaring over the tundra with silent
deadly