Snowy owls are one of the heaviest owls in the world. The males are almost pure white, which helps them disappear against the snow. The females have darker markings - little stripes and spots - that help them blend in when they are sitting on a nest on the rocky ground.
Their eyes are huge and bright yellow. An owl's eyes can't move side to side like ours - they are fixed in their sockets. That is why owls have to turn their whole head to look around. A snowy owl can turn its head almost three-quarters of the way around its body without moving its feet.
They have feathered feet - even their toes are covered in soft white fluff. Most birds have bare scaly legs, but in the Arctic, feathered feet act like fluffy boots, keeping the owl warm on the snow.
Most owls go 'hoo'. The snowy owl can do that too, but it also barks, whistles and rattles. The young owls are noisy in the nest, calling for food. The Inuit, who live in the same lands as the owls, have known and respected them for thousands of years.

