Bubo scandiacus
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae
♂ Adult male.— Entire plumage white, more or less barred on head, back, wings, and tail, and often on the belly and sides, with brown.
♀ Adult female.— Much darker than male, only the face, front of neck, and middle of breast pure white; rest of plumage heavily barred with brown.
The Snowy Owl is a very irregular winter visitor from the north, sometimes occurring in large numbers, but often absent for several years; it is found more often along the sea-shore than inland. It is strictly diurnal, and may be seen perched on some rock or tree, conspicuous enough if there is no snow about. The sexes vary in the amount of brown color in the white feathers, but the general effect is always so white that there is no chance of confusing it with any other owl.
Hoffmann – A Guide to the Birds of New England and Eastern New York (1904)