Snowy Owl yawning dune
© Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images
'Who' you laughing at?
Seems like this snowy owl thinks you're quite the hoot. Whether it's having a chuckle or a yawn, this wise flyer is right at home pretty much anywhere there's a chill in the air. While most common in snow-prone places like Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia, snowies have been spotted wintering as far south as the Gulf Coast of the United States. In addition to being well-traveled, these birds are notably long-lived: The oldest known wild specimen, originally banded in Massachusetts in the 1990s, was last seen at the ripe avian age of 23.
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