Snowy owl

Every winter, snowy owls leave the Arctic tundra and drift south onto the open fields of Manitoba, where the flat, treeless prairie feels like home. They are easy to spot once you know where to look: a pale shape on a fence post, a power pole or the top of a hay bale, watching the snow for movement. Over the years I have found them in low golden light, in blowing snow, and on bright, cold mornings, and each one seems perfectly content to ignore the camera.

Snowy owls are large, heavy-bodied owls and, unlike most owls, they hunt in daylight. Adult males are almost pure white, while females and young birds carry heavy dark barring. In Manitoba they usually arrive in November and stay until about March, favouring open farmland, shorelines, and marshes. Please give them space: a perched owl that is watched too closely may burn energy it can’t spare in winter.

Snowy owl perched on a leaning post above golden late-fall prairie grass

Photos

  • Snowy owl perched on a round hay bale at first light
  • Snowy owl resting on a snowy prairie field with a blurred tree behind
  • Snowy owl with heavy dark barring perched on a fence post
  • Barred snowy owl crouched on a snowbank in winter sun
  • Snowy owl on a post beside a Wildlife Management Area sign and nest box
  • Snowy owl perched on a wooden pole against a pale winter sky

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