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A Hawk Owl Bathing with Snow

Tom J. Cade

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A Hawk Owl Bathing With Snow.-As the daylight begins to lengthen in late winter and early spring, one or two Hawk Owls (Surniu ulule) are occasionally seen, usually for several days at a time, perched about the campus of the University of Alaska on telephone poles and in the tops of the taller spruce trees (Picea.glauca,and P. mariam) . During one such occurrence, in March of 1950, the following observation was made.

On a clear, relatively warm morning subsequent to a light snow-fall the previous night, one of a pair of Hawk Owls, which had been about the campus for several days, alighted on the flattened top of a pole that it had been seen to frequent a great deal. About two inches of fresh, dry snow capped the top of the pole. The owl perched on the edge of the pole for several seconds, and then very much in the manner of a bird about to incubate eggs, it settled itself down into the snow-covering, with wings partially spread, the tail somewhat elevated, and the body feathers ruffed out, whereupon it commenced a vigorous bathing.

With its face partially buried in the snow, the whole head and body were shaken, thus scattering the snow generally all about, much of it falling into the air. But certain specific movements of the head were directed to throwing bits of the snow over its back and wings. After going through this exercise for several seconds, the owl would stand very erect for a few more moments and then repeat the bathing, which it did several times during the course of two or three minutes. This observation was made from a second-story window, approximately at a level with the owl and about thirty yards distant-Toad J. CADE, Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, College, Alaska, May 15, 1952.

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