APA: məqməqeʔ
Definition: snowy owl
Lit.: The name means ‘snowy’.
Scientific name: [Nyctea scandiaca (Linnaeus)]
Ethnobiology: This large, nearly all white owl is a winter visitor to British Columbia. It is a traditional belief that a severe winter is indicated by the early arrival of snowy owls. During the winter months in southern coastal British Columbia, snowy owls eat mainly waterfowl, such as horned grebes and buffleheads.