Black-banded Owl vs Snowy Owl
Ciccaba huhula compared with Bubo scandiacus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-banded Owl | Snowy Owl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ciccaba huhula | Bubo scandiacus |
| Order | Strigiformes | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae | Strigidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 63.0 cm (24.8 in) |
| Wingspan | 49.9 cm (19.6 in) | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) |
| Weight | 398.0 g (14.04 oz) | 2100.0 g (74.08 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Primarily lemmings on the breeding grounds, where a pair may consume over 1,500 per year. … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 3-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Snowy Owl
Arctic tundra for breeding. Winters in open habitats resembling tundra, including prairies, airports, shorelines, and agricultural fields.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-banded Owl
Snowy Owl
Male gives a deep booming hoot 'hooooo' and a rising 'hoo-hoo' series. Also barks sharply when alarmed. Quieter than many owls; silent during long Arctic winter hunts.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-banded Owl
Snowy Owl
Circumpolar Arctic for breeding. Irruptive winter movements bring birds south to the northern United States, Europe, and Asia.
Conservation Status
Black-banded Owl
Snowy Owl
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-banded Owl
Snowy Owl
Adult males are almost entirely white. Females and immatures have dark brown barring and spotting. Yellow eyes and fully feathered feet.
Dark hooked bill mostly hidden by dense facial feathering
About These Birds
Black-banded Owl
The Black-banded Owl is a medium-sized owl of South American tropical forests, recognized by its dark brown plumage boldly barred with white across the underparts and a rounded head without ear tufts. It inhabits lowland and foothill rainforests from Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia and Brazil. Nocturnal and secretive, it feeds on small mammals, birds, and insects, calling with distinctive hooting notes in the forest understory.
Snowy Owl
The snowy owl is the heaviest North American owl and one of the most charismatic Arctic birds. Unlike most owls, it is largely diurnal, necessitated by the continuous daylight of Arctic summers. Snowy owl irruptions — periodic mass southward movements — are tied to lemming population cycles.