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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Peruvian Pygmy-owl	Snowy Owl
Scientific Name	Glaucidium peruanum	Bubo scandiacus
Order	Strigiformes	Strigiformes
Family	Strigidae	Strigidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Vulnerable
Length	—	63.0 cm (24.8 in)
Wingspan	18.8 cm (7.4 in)	145.0 cm (57.1 in)
Weight	61.5 g (2.17 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	--	3-14
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Peruvian Pygmy-owl —

Snowy Owl 63.0 cm

Wingspan

Peruvian Pygmy-owl 18.8 cm

Snowy Owl 145.0 cm

Weight

Peruvian Pygmy-owl 61.5 g

Snowy Owl 2100.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Peruvian Pygmy-owl only

🌲 Forest

Snowy Owl only

🏖️ Coastal 🌾 Grassland 🌿 Wetland

Snowy Owl

Arctic tundra for breeding. Winters in open habitats resembling tundra, including prairies, airports, shorelines, and agricultural fields.

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Song & Call Comparison

Peruvian Pygmy-owl

Snowy Owl

Song

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.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Peruvian Pygmy-owl

Snowy Owl

Circumpolar Arctic for breeding. Irruptive winter movements bring birds south to the northern United States, Europe, and Asia.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Peruvian Pygmy-owl

Vulnerable

Snowy Owl

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How to Tell Them Apart

Peruvian Pygmy-owl

Snowy Owl

Plumage

Adult males are almost entirely white. Females and immatures have dark brown barring and spotting. Yellow eyes and fully feathered feet.

Bill

Dark hooked bill mostly hidden by dense facial feathering

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About These Birds

Peruvian Pygmy-owl

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.

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Related Comparisons

Great Horned Owl vs Snowy Owl

same-family

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