But among most birders, the prevailing wisdom about Snowy Owls is that they are diurnal. Now, scientists know that Snowy Owls are both diurnal and nocturnal, depending on the circumstances. A few examples follow: PBS’s Nature: Snowy Owl Infographic (2012) “Unlike most owls, which are nocturnal, snowy owls are diurnal-they hunt and are active both day and night.” National Geographic: Snowy Owl (2014) “Unlike most owls, which are nocturnal, snowy owls are diurnal-they hunt and are active both day and night.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds: Snowy Owl, Life History “Unlike most owls, Snowy Owls are diurnal, extremely so. They’ll hunt at all hours during the continuous daylight of an Arctic summer.” The Birds of North America from Cornell Lab of Ornithology and American Ornithological Union: Snowy Owl (1992) Differing from most owls in being largely diurnal, the Snowy Owl hunts in all weather during winter and the continuous light of arctic summer The existing literature is pretty definitive that Snowy Owls are not strictly nocturnal or diurnal. Diurnal animals are active during the day. Red arrows indicate daytime or diurnal movements.īlue arrows indicate nighttime or nocturnal movements.įirst some definitions. Use the SNOWstorm Tracker to explore the travels of Snowy Owl “Assateague” for 24 hours along Reed’s Beach, Cape May, New Jersey and draw your own conclusion about whether “Assateague” is diurnal or nocturnal.

Are owls nocturnal