Alor Boobook vs Snowy Owl
Ninox plesseni compared with Bubo scandiacus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Alor Boobook | Snowy Owl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ninox plesseni | Bubo scandiacus |
| Order | Strigiformes | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae | Strigidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | 63.0 cm (24.8 in) |
| Wingspan | — | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) |
| Weight | 180.0 g (6.35 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 | — | — |
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
Alor Boobook
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
Alor Boobook
Snowy Owl
Circumpolar Arctic for breeding. Irruptive winter movements bring birds south to the northern United States, Europe, and Asia.
Conservation Status
Alor Boobook
Snowy Owl
How to Tell Them Apart
Alor Boobook
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
Alor Boobook
The Alor Boobook is a small owl weighing about 180 g, endemic to the island of Alor in eastern Indonesia. A member of the Strigidae family, it inhabits forest and woodland on the island and hunts insects and small vertebrates at night.
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.