Snowy Owl vs Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Bubo scandiacus compared with Amazona aestiva
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Snowy Owl | Turquoise-fronted Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bubo scandiacus | Amazona aestiva |
| Order | Strigiformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Strigidae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Near Threatened |
| Length | 63.0 cm (24.8 in) | 36.0 cm (14.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) | 55.0 cm (21.7 in) |
| Weight | 2100.0 g (74.08 oz) | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily lemmings on the breeding grounds, where a pair may consume over 1,500 per year. … | Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and flowers. Feeds in tree canopy in noisy flocks. Occasionally raids … |
| Clutch Size | 3-14 | 1-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Snowy Owl only
Turquoise-fronted Amazon only
Snowy Owl
Arctic tundra for breeding. Winters in open habitats resembling tundra, including prairies, airports, shorelines, and agricultural fields.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Tropical and subtropical forests, woodland, savanna, and palm groves in South America.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Loud, raucous squawking and screaming calls. Capable of impressive vocal mimicry including human speech. Contact call is a rolling 'arr-arr'. Highly vocal in social groups.
Geographic Range & Migration
Snowy Owl
Circumpolar Arctic for breeding. Irruptive winter movements bring birds south to the northern United States, Europe, and Asia.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Interior of South America including Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
Conservation Status
Snowy Owl
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Green body with a turquoise-blue forehead, yellow face, and red and blue wing patches. Red at the bend of the wing visible in flight.
Strong, hooked, dark grey upper mandible with a paler lower mandible
About These Birds
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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
The turquoise-fronted amazon is one of the most popular pet parrots in the world, prized for its ability to mimic human speech and its engaging personality. In the wild, these sociable parrots roost communally in large flocks and fly in pairs to feeding sites at dawn. Habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade threaten wild populations.