Snowy Owl in Low Flight Over Prairie

A snowy owl crosses the frame in flight, seen from the side with its wings raised high above the body. The upper wing is spread wide, and its long pale primaries are tipped with soft brown barring. The chest and belly carry fine dark streaks, the head is mostly white with a few dark flecks, and a yellow eye looks ahead. One foot hangs below the body, its feathered toes spread. Behind the bird, a blurred band of tawny grassland runs beneath a pale peach sky, which gives the whole scene a calm, muted feel.

Snowy owls breed on the Arctic tundra and move south in winter, when some reach the open prairies of southern Canada and the northern United States. They hunt mostly by sight and often in daylight, taking voles and other small mammals, and sometimes birds. Their dense feathering insulates them against the cold, even down to the toes. Females and young birds usually show more dark barring than adult males. The wide landscape format and the open space on the left and right suit a desktop monitor or ultrawide display. The space above the wings also leaves room for icons on a laptop screen.

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