Snowy Owl in Flight, Ocean Shores, Washington

A young snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca) flies past another on Damon Point in Ocean Shores, Washington. Snowy owls, which spend the summer in the northern circumpolar region north of 60 degrees latitude, have a typical winter range that includes Alaska, Canada and northern Eurasia. Every several years, for reasons still unexplained, the snowy owls migrate much farther south in an event known as an irruption. During one irruption, a snowy owl was found as far south as the Caribbean. During the 2011-2012 irruption, Ocean Shores on the Washington coast was the winter home for an especially large number of snowy owls. Snowy owls tend to prefer coastal and plains areas, which most resemble the open tundra that serves as their typical home. Both owls shown here are young birds; snowy owls become almost entirely white as they age, though females retain some of the darker coloration.

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A young snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca) flies past another on Damon Point in Ocean Shores, Washington. Snowy owls, which spend the summer in the northern circumpolar region north of 60 degrees latitude, have a typical winter range that includes Alaska, Canada and northern Eurasia. Every several years, for reasons still unexplained, the snowy owls migrate much farther south in an event known as an irruption. During one irruption, a snowy owl was found as far south as the Caribbean. During the 2011-2012 irruption, Ocean Shores on the Washington coast was the winter home for an especially large number of snowy owls. Snowy owls tend to prefer coastal and plains areas, which most resemble the open tundra that serves as their typical home. Both owls shown here are young birds; snowy owls become almost entirely white as they age, though females retain some of the darker coloration.