Silent Flight: Snowy owls have specially adapted flight feathers that drastically reduce the noise they make while flying. This allows them to catch their prey without alerting them.
Vision and Hearing: Snowy owls have exceptional eyesight and hearing abilities. Their remarkable visual acuity enables them to spot small rodents camouflaged in the snow, and their sensitive hearing enables them to detect even the slightest sounds made by their prey.
Here's a typical hunting sequence of a snowy owl:
1. Identification: Snowy owls rely on their vision to identify potential prey moving under the snow. They often hover in the air or perch on high vantage points to scan the vast expanse of their habitat.
2. Silent Approach: Once a snowy owl spots a likely target, it uses its silent flight to glide down without disturbing the snow's surface.
3. Swift Dive: When the snowy owl reaches a striking range, it swiftly dives with its sharp talons extended.
4. Grasping and Capture: The owl's powerful feet equipped with sharp, curved talons firmly grip the small mammal or other prey.
5. Quick Devouring: After securing the prey, the snowy owl consumes it on the spot. They primarily target rodents like voles, lemmings, and mice, but they occasionally capture larger prey like rabbits, ptarmigans, and even fish during the summer.
6. Storing Food: Snowy owls often cache surplus food in the snow or hidden spots to consume later when hunting is less productive or less favorable weather conditions prevail.
By combining these hunting techniques with their well-developed senses, snowy owls effectively find and capture prey for survival in the harsh Arctic environment.