Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) | Affiliated Manuscripts | Further Data

Occurrence in Amherst & Connecticut Valley, Mass.
C19

Rare and irregular winter visitor, seldom seen in Amherst but more frequent in the Hadley meadows

December - February

C20

Irregular winter visitor, usually rare but at intervals almost common, especially in November-December

October - May

C21

Winter visitor

November - April

Habitat
Prairies, fields, marshes, beaches, dunes, arctic tundra.
Nest Materials
a depression in the tundra
19th-20th Century Field Notes
SNOWY OWL . White , spotted with brownish - black . Some males with almost no markings ; some females with a great many . Length , 24 inches . · Occasionally seen in Amherst , but more common in the Hadley Meadows , as a winter visitor .

—H.L. Clark, 1887

21st Century Conservation Notes

Formerly many were shot during southward invasions in winter. Most North American breeding areas are remote from effects of human disturbance, but climate change is likely to affect many Arctic birds. Has declined in parts of breeding range in northern Europe.*