Ookpik is the name given to the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) by the Inuit people of the north, and it has a lovely sound to it. I have never quite understood why the indigenous birds of the Hawaiian Islands have been universally accorded their Polynesian names, yet elsewhere English names (for the English-speaking world of course) are used. Furthermore, it is easy to say Ookpik, whereas some of the names of Hawaiian birds are almost impossible to pronounce, let alone remember!
Snowy Owls herald the beginning of spring for the Inuit as the birds return from the south to occupy the tundra where they breed. Here they are dependent on the Brown Lemming (Lemmus sibiricus) to feed themselves and their young, and the relative abundance of lemmings weighs heavily on their breeding success.
When they appear in southern Ontario, as they do every winter, they are catholic feeders, taking any prey they can capture. Waterfowl feature prominently in their diet.
