Ryan Van Meter Ryan Van Meter Expeditions Photographs
'Snowy Owl Takeoff' Photograph by Ryan Van Meter

Snowy Owl Takeoff

Snowies can sit a perch for a long time. Hours. Prior to takeoff, they often shift their bodyweight forward and spray a stream of waste backward, in a behavior known as "pre-flight slicing" that reduces weight before travel or hunting. When you stand for hours in a frigid windy field watching an Owl sitting, waiting for it to take off, it's a helpful reminder to get the camera ready.
© 1980-2026 — Ryan Van Meter — All Rights Reserved — No Reuse Without Permission — License

New York, USA

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus
iNaturalist Observation
More Observations from Expedition Grasslands

Surveys of the grassland bird species of New York (2020 to 2024)

12 Observations
5 Identified Species
Short-Eared Owl Scanning for Prey
New York, USA (February 2020)
Short Eared Owl Alert to Nearby Northern Harriers
New York, USA
Gray Ghost Hunting Grassland Male Northern Harrier
New York, USA (March 2022)
Short-Eared Owl Hunting Low Over New York Grasslands
New York, USA (February 2020)
Short-Eared Owl Evening Hunt
New York, USA
Short-Eared Owl Territorial Competition
New York, USA (March 2021)
More from Biodiversity Diversity of Bird Life
105 Observations
64 Identified Species
Barred Owl Perched Low Hunting a Fern Patch
Pawlet, Vermont, USA (June 2024)
Himalayan Black Bubal
Shikha, Nepal
Merlin
Gulf of Maine, Atlantic Ocean (September 2021)
Black Kite Hunting the Shores of Fewa Lake
Pokhara, Nepal (May 2013)
Roseate Spoonbill in Flight
Everglades National Park, Florida, USA (March 2020)
More Observations of Snowy Owl
2 Other Observations
Snowy Owl
New York, USA
Snowy Owl Perched on Pond Dock at Sunset
New York, USA
© 1980—2026 RYAN VAN METER