Wyddfa
Snowy owl
Wyddfa
Our gorgeous male Snowy Owl, Wyddfa, is a really handsome chap. He is usually very placid and calm but in the Spring breeding season, he can be very fierce in protecting his territory and his mate.
He lived for many years with his partner, Emma, but they did not breed for 9 years when we were astonished to see Emma sitting on eggs! Sadly a few years after that Emma fell ill and died.
Wyddfa is not one of the birds we handle but he is always easy to see in his aviary where he lives with Brooke, his very pretty new mate. We are hoping that he will not wait so long to start a family life with her! These are of course the owls made famous within the “Harry Potter” stories.
Yr Wyddfa is the Welsh name for Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales and almost as spectacular as Wyddfa himself!
Common Name: Snowy Owl
Latin Name: Nyctea scandiaca
Conservation Status: In “lemming years” may be locally abundant. In other years may be entirely absent from the same locality and do not breed.
Wingspan: 1420-1660mm
Weight: 1100-2000g
Lifespan: 10+ yrs in the wild, 28+ yrs in captivity
Diet: lemmings and other small rodents, hares, rats, rabbits.
Average Litter Size: 5-8 eggs.
Habitat: Arctic Tundra. Visitors to Britain favour mountains and moorland with short vegetation.
Arctic Tundra in North America and Eurasia.