Q 01/05

Which small rodents are the snowy owl's favorite food, with one adult eating over 1,600 a year?

A) Lemmings

B) Marmots

C) Chipmunks

D) Muskrats

Answer · why

A) Lemmings

Lemmings matter so much to snowy owls that a pair may not nest at all in a summer when the rodents are scarce.

Q 02/05

What name does Harry Potter give the snowy owl he receives as a birthday gift from Hagrid?

A) Errol

B) Hedwig

C) Pigwidgeon

D) Hermes

Answer · why

B) Hedwig

Hedwig is a female snowy owl in the books, and a famous piece of the film soundtrack, Hedwig's Theme, carries her name.

Q 03/05

At what time are snowy owls often out hunting, a habit that sets them apart from most owls?

A) Around midnight

B) On moonless nights

C) In broad daylight

D) During blizzards

Answer · why

C) In broad daylight

Snowy owls often hunt in broad daylight because the summer sun never sets where they breed in the Arctic.

Q 04/05

Where does a snowy owl mother make her nest and lay her eggs on the open Arctic tundra?

A) On the ground

B) On cliff ledges

C) In snow tunnels

D) In old burrows

Answer · why

A) On the ground

On the ground, usually atop a low windswept mound with a clear view, the mother scrapes out a shallow bowl and adds no lining at all.

Q 05/05

What color are the eyes of an adult snowy owl, standing out sharply against its pale face?

A) Dark brown

B) Orange

C) Yellow

D) Pale blue

Answer · why

C) Yellow

Yellow eyes help make the snowy owl unmistakable, and they are sharp: experiments suggest the bird can spot prey from about a mile away.