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Re: Snowy Owl -- diurnal?




According to the Canadian govt (most convenient resource), Snowy Owls
operate pretty much whenever they want to.  As Norm mentions, a strictly
diurnal owl would have trouble if it wintered too far north (no daylight).
On the flip side, Snowy Owls breed above the Arctic Circle, where there is
24 hours of daylight for several months of the year.  A nocturnal predator
would go pretty hungry up there.  Snowy Owls, it seems are well suited to
hunt whenever they please, but are one of the few owls that are seen in our
area that hunt during the day.  The point being that Snowy Owls are
regularly seen during daylight hours, where most other species of locally
occurring owl are not.

Best,
Steve Shultz
Cary, NC




Norman Budnitz <nbudnitz@duke.edu>@acpub.duke.edu on 02/08/2002 01:54:17 PM

Sent by:  carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu






To:   carolinabirds@duke.edu
cc:
Subject:  Snowy Owl -- diurnal?


Seems to me that strictly diurnal Snowy Owls could get a might hungry in
the winter with those short days in the arctic.

Now if they were cold-blooded or if they hibernated, they could make up for
it by doing lots of feeding in the summer.  But, alas, they have to keep
the internal fires burning year round.

Norm

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Norman Budnitz, nbudnitz@duke.edu
919-684-3592 (day), 919-383-0553 (eve), 919-660-7293 (fax)

(work) Biology Dept, Duke Univ, Box 90338, Durham NC 27708
(home) 4115 Garrett Drive, Durham NC 27705

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