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The story of the Snowy owl: surviving with low lemmings

Snowy owls are an iconic species of the Arctic. Lemmings are the main prey for many predators including Snowy Owls in tundra ecosystems. Lemmings are rodents weighing 70 -120 grams when adult, and look like large voles. They belonging to the genera Lemmus and Dicrostonyx. Lemmings do not hibernate and can produce large number of offspring under the snow cover during a long winter. In these ecosystems two lemming species occur: the West Siberian lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus) and the Nearctic collared lemming (Dicroctonyx groenlandicus). The number of lemmings is subject to cyclical changes with a period of 4-5 years and an amplitude of up to 500 times for the Siberian lemming and up to 200 times for the Collared lemming. The Snowy owl can lay up to 14 eggs in high lemmings year and just 3-5 with low numbers. Snowy owls nest on the ground. They defend their territory against terrestrial predators such as the Arctic fox. The Common eider, Black Brant and Snow geese readily nest in this area under the protection of the Snowy Owl. However, Snowy Owls can prey on these waterfowl (adults and offspring) when they lack lemmings. Owls also prey on other tundra birds. These owls nest in a year with low lemming numbers. A female Snowy Owl laid only four eggs and all the eggs hatched. In the beginning, when the chicks were small, the prey caught by her partner was enough. But the owlets are growing rapidly and food were not enough. The female also begins to forage in such conditions. These Snowy Owls were lucky that a dozen Сommon eiders nested nearby. Welcome to the channel @snowyflyer and watch more!