What's for Dinner? The Diet of the Snowy Owl and Canada Lynx

The Canada Lynx has evolved into a hare-hunting expert. All of it's techniques are uniquely specialized to hunt for snowshoe hares. The most common hunting strategy used is stalking and rushing at their prey. Another strategy is to make an "ambush bed" near commonly used hare trails, and pounce when a hare passes by. Lynx eat fresh-killed prey rather than caching it for later. Hunting is most often done in solitary, but also can be done in mother-kit groups, where one will flush out the prey,...

In order to catch prey, the Snowy Owl will hunt late at night or ery early in the morning. They remain motionless perched for several hours during the day, even when accompanied by their young. If food is spotted, it will ambush it by either dropping directly from above, or by gliding down to it and seizing it with one or both feet (24).

The Snowy Owl digestive system has the traditional avian digestive tract. Here is the digestive tract of the Red- Tailed Hawk, 45-65 cm. Buteo...