The other day I was perusing the latest catalog from Buteo Books and saw that there was a new monograph published last year with the title "The Snowy Owl". Here is the description and a link to it at Buteo Books here in case someone wants to check it out.
"The Snowy Owl - possibly the world's sexiest bird - needs little introduction. This massive white owl breeds throughout the Arctic, wherever there are voles or lemmings to hunt, from Scandinavia through northern Russia to Canada and Greenland. Southerly movements in winter see North American birds travel as far south as the northern United States, while infrequent vagrants on the Shetlands and other northern isles are a magnet for birders. The Snowy Owl gives this popular bird the full Poyser treatment, with sections looking at morphology, distribution, palaeontology and evolution, habitat, breeding, diet, population dynamics, movements, interspecific relationships and conservation, supported by some fabulous photography and the art of Jackie Garner. A major strength is the availability to the authors of Russian literature, which is generally out of reach for Western scientists." http://www.buteobooks.com/product/13826.html Thanks Ardith for starting this discussion. Anders Peltomaa Mannahatta On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 6:26 PM, Ardith Bondi <ard...@earthlink.net> wrote: > I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this edifying discussion > about Snowy Owl hunting hours. It would be nice if the guide books would > give the broader picture. But, barring that, at least we have some > perspective. And, the posting of the old publications about Snowys was an > added bonus. > > Ardith Bondi > > > > > On 12/4/13 8:49 PM, Angus Wilson wrote: > >> As others have said already, being a high-arctic breeder Snowy Owls >> really have no choice but to hunt in daylight because there is little or >> no night during the summer. This, I would guess, is what the textbooks >> are referring to. The opposite will be true during the winter for the >> many birds that stay north, when the night is long. Also the owls will >> have the prey to themselves when strictly diurnal competitors such as >> Rough-legged Hawk and Golden Eagle are roosting. So to persist in the >> far north the species must be quite flexible relative to other owls and >> this would come in handy when birds irrupt southward. >> >> Speaking from a coastal perspective, I've never seen a wintering Snowy >> actively hunting during the day time. They certainly move around, >> occasionally spar with others when present, dodge attacks from >> Short-eared Owls or hawks and are generally vigilant but don't seem to >> be hunting per se. I've routinely seen them become much more active at >> dusk, presumably in preparation for a night of hunting. It would be >> interesting to hear if this rest up during the day and hunt by night >> holds true for birds wintering on farmland where they target different >> prey from those on the coast. >> >> Many will remember the Snowy Owl that frequented Piermont Pier (Rockland >> Co.) in Februrary 2007. This bird dined on Ruddy Ducks snatched from the >> sheltered bay, bringing them back to a perch where the pile of discarded >> heads and feet attracted a most splendid adult Ivory Gull. My >> recollection was that the owl fed mostly at night but maybe someone can >> confirm or refute this. A priori, it would seem a lot easier for the owl >> to swoop down on roosting ducks (and as we've heard roosting gulls) >> under the cover of darkness when it has the visual advantage. Phil >> Jeffrey has posted pictures (albeit gory ones) of the polishing off a >> stiff tail. >> >> http://philjeffrey.net/piermont2.html >> >> Bottom line, individual Snowy Owls can probably adapt their >> feeding/roosting cycles to fit the available prey. I imagine they also >> hunt less and roost more if food is easy to acquire during optimal >> periods. With so many owls around this year, it would interesting to >> learn from field observers what the current birds (largely immatures by >> the fact that most are very heavily barred) are feeding on and when they >> do so. One more reason to view from a distance and let them to do their >> thing. >> >> Angus Wilson >> New York City >> -- >> *NYSbirds-L List Info:* >> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME> >> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> *Archives:* >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >> BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html> >> *Please submit your observations to **eBird* >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* >> -- >> > > -- > > NYSbirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
