{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.snowy-owl","code":"thing-q170177","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q170177/","name":"Snowy Owl","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.LIV"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a large, largely diurnal strigid of circumpolar Arctic tundra, a lemming-specialist predator whose breeding output and irregular southward winter irruptions track small-mammal cycles, and is treated as a monotypic species in Bubo after the former genus Nyctea was sunk.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise a Snowy Owl, assess its condition and ecological circumstances, and choose evidence-supported observation, protection or specialist intervention.","scope":{"in":["Species identification and evidence linking observations to an individual Snowy Owl","Plumage, developmental stage and cautiously supported sex assessment","Physical condition, flight capability and observed feeding performance","Seasonal location, open-habitat use and movement history","Breeding state, parental relationships and dependent young","Disturbance, immediate hazards and prerequisites for intervention"],"out":["Other owl and falcon species, except as identification alternatives","Lemming, waterfowl and other prey models beyond their relationships to the owl","Tundra, coastal and agricultural ecosystem models beyond the owl's use of them","Population census methods and conservation programmes beyond links relevant to an individual","Veterinary treatment protocols and rehabilitation facility operations","Legal instruments, permits and land-management systems beyond applicable constraints"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Against a pale Gyrfalcon, test for the Snowy Owl's bulky body and large rounded head; a Gyrfalcon has a slimmer profile and smaller head. [Cornell comparison](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/species-compare/)","In flight, compare broad owl wings and tail proportions with the Gyrfalcon's narrower, more pointed wings and longer tail. [Cornell comparison](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/species-compare/)","Against an American Barn Owl, compare overall bulk and plumage: the Barn Owl is smaller and slimmer, with buff and brown tones rather than the Snowy Owl's white ground colour. [Cornell comparison](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/species-compare/)","Require a combination of yellow eyes, a smoothly rounded head, densely feathered legs and white plumage with variable dark markings; whiteness alone is insufficient. [Cornell identification](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/id)"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"snowy-owl-recognition","name":"Snowy Owl Recognition","description":"Establish species identity and the limits of individual, age and sex attribution.","layers":[{"id":"diagnostic-evidence","name":"Diagnostic Evidence","description":"Combine visible structure and plumage with explicit alternative identifications.","findings":[{"id":"species-identification-support","name":"Species Identification Support","description":"Record which diagnostic features are visible, which are obscured and whether competing identifications remain plausible.","questions":[{"text":"Which visible head, eye, leg, wing and plumage features support Snowy Owl identification?","id":"species-identification-support-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What evidence excludes a pale Gyrfalcon, American Barn Owl or unusually pale alternative species?","id":"species-identification-support-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"individual-and-plumage-interpretation","name":"Individual and Plumage Interpretation","description":"Separate observed markings from inferred sex, age and continuity across sightings.","findings":[{"id":"attribution-confidence","name":"Attribution Confidence","description":"Retain the basis and uncertainty for individual matching and age or sex assignments; Snowy Owl marking intensity varies with age and sex. [Cornell identification](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/id)","questions":[{"text":"Does a readable band, tag or documented combination of features establish that two observations concern the same owl?","id":"attribution-confidence-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which validated method supports the age or sex assignment, and what alternatives remain?","id":"attribution-confidence-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"condition-and-feeding","name":"Condition and Feeding","description":"Connect physical function and feeding evidence to the owl's ability to sustain itself.","layers":[{"id":"physical-function","name":"Physical Function","description":"Assess observable movement and condition while retaining the limits of remote observation.","findings":[{"id":"functional-condition-evidence","name":"Functional Condition Evidence","description":"Record posture, wing symmetry, locomotion, visible injuries and qualified measurements without inferring fitness from apparent feathered bulk.","questions":[{"text":"What directly observed evidence shows coordinated flight, walking, balance or impairment?","id":"functional-condition-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which findings justify specialist assessment rather than continued remote observation?","id":"functional-condition-evidence-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"prey-and-intake","name":"Prey and Intake","description":"Distinguish prey opportunity, hunting effort and demonstrated consumption.","findings":[{"id":"realised-feeding","name":"Realised Feeding","description":"Record actual prey and intake evidence rather than assuming a lemming-only diet; Snowy Owls also take birds and other mammals. [Cornell life history](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snowy_owl/lifehistory)","questions":[{"text":"Which prey were captured or consumed, how were they identified, and over what observation period?","id":"realised-feeding-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Can a pellet or prey remain be attributed to this owl and time interval, or only to the site?","id":"realised-feeding-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"seasonal-space-use","name":"Seasonal Space Use","description":"Interpret location through season, habitat use and supported movement history.","layers":[{"id":"hunting-and-resting-sites","name":"Hunting and Resting Sites","description":"Describe the site's functional use by the owl.","findings":[{"id":"site-use-evidence","name":"Site Use Evidence","description":"Record open terrain, perch or ground position and observed activity; Snowy Owls use tundra and other open environments, including winter fields and shores. [Cornell identification](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/id)","questions":[{"text":"Is this owl hunting, resting, feeding or merely passing through the recorded site?","id":"site-use-evidence-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What terrain, snow cover, sightlines and prey-access conditions accompany that use?","id":"site-use-evidence-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"movement-and-seasonal-role","name":"Movement and Seasonal Role","description":"Interpret repeated occurrences without assuming all Snowy Owls follow one route or calendar.","findings":[{"id":"seasonal-role-confidence","name":"Seasonal Role Confidence","description":"Maintain candidate interpretations of residency, passage and breeding association with the evidence needed to revise them.","questions":[{"text":"What dated sightings or tracking records support residence, transit or return to a previously used area?","id":"seasonal-role-confidence-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What regional baseline and observation effort are needed before calling this occurrence an irruption or range anomaly?","id":"seasonal-role-confidence-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"breeding-and-dependence","name":"Breeding and Dependence","description":"Represent reproductive state and dependencies among adults, nests and young.","layers":[{"id":"breeding-evidence","name":"Breeding Evidence","description":"Separate suspected breeding activity from established nest use.","findings":[{"id":"nest-association-and-stage","name":"Nest Association and Stage","description":"Record the owl's evidenced association with a nest and breeding stage; Snowy Owls nest in ground scrapes on tundra. [Cornell life history](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snowy_owl/lifehistory)","questions":[{"text":"What evidence establishes courtship, incubation, brooding or provisioning rather than simple proximity to another owl?","id":"nest-association-and-stage-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which adult, nest and observation records support this association without requiring additional disturbance?","id":"nest-association-and-stage-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"young-and-parental-support","name":"Young and Parental Support","description":"Assess developmental capability and continuing care independently of nest occupancy.","findings":[{"id":"dependency-assessment","name":"Dependency Assessment","description":"Record mobility, flight, provisioning and adult attendance before assigning independence or abandonment.","questions":[{"text":"What observations establish whether this young owl can fly, feed itself and still receives parental care?","id":"dependency-assessment-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What evidence and specialist criteria must be satisfied before treating an unattended young owl as needing rescue?","id":"dependency-assessment-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"disturbance-and-intervention","name":"Disturbance and Intervention","description":"Determine how human presence and proposed actions affect this owl in its present circumstances.","layers":[{"id":"encounter-and-hazard-assessment","name":"Encounter and Hazard Assessment","description":"Connect human activity and site hazards to observed exposure or behavioural change.","findings":[{"id":"disturbance-and-exposure-evidence","name":"Disturbance and Exposure Evidence","description":"Record approach conditions, interrupted activity, displacement and proximity to vehicles, aircraft, infrastructure or other observed hazards.","questions":[{"text":"Did the owl change vigilance, hunting, resting or nest-related behaviour as people or equipment approached?","id":"disturbance-and-exposure-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Should observers withdraw, restrict location disclosure or notify a site specialist given the documented circumstances?","id":"disturbance-and-exposure-evidence-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"authorised-response","name":"Authorised Response","description":"Gate handling and relocation through a documented need and applicable specialist authority.","findings":[{"id":"intervention-decision-basis","name":"Intervention Decision Basis","description":"Link any proposed capture, sampling, tagging, transport or release to evidence, current jurisdictional requirements, qualified personnel and reproductive dependencies.","questions":[{"text":"What documented injury or hazard justifies intervention, and how would it affect any dependent young?","id":"intervention-decision-basis-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which current authority, permit conditions and specialist assessment establish who may perform the proposed action?","id":"intervention-decision-basis-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Snowy Owl this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Identify snowy owls from sightings, photographs or calls, citing field guides.","Report sightings to recognised bird recording schemes."],"mustNot":["Approach, flush, bait or feed an owl to get a photograph.","Publish the exact location of a roosting or nesting owl where crowds may disturb it.","Capture, keep or trade a wild owl or its feathers or eggs without legal permission.","Fly drones close to owls."],"requiresHuman":["Handling, rescuing or moving an injured owl."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Irruptive owls far south of their range are often stressed and hungry; crowds and baiting harm them.","Arctic warming threatens the tundra habitat and prey cycles it depends on."],"affectedParties":["The owls","Arctic communities","Birdwatchers"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: wild and protected by law.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["IUCN Red List","National and regional bird recording databases"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q8021345","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.snowy-owl","Wikidata: Q170177 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170177)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identification support: confirmed; probable; unresolved; rejected, with evidence and alternatives","Plumage marking distribution: White ground colour; dark marking extent and pattern by head, body, wings and tail; unknown regions","Developmental and sex assessment: Stage: downy chick; dependent juvenile; independent immature; adult; unknown. Sex: female; male; unknown. Record method and confidence separately.","Body mass: g, with measurement date, method and developmental context","Flight and locomotor function: Apparently coordinated; impaired; not observed; indeterminate, with observed movement","Feeding evidence: Owl linked to identified or unidentified prey, hunting attempt, capture, ingestion or attributed pellet","Seasonal occurrence: Timestamped location with spatial uncertainty, habitat, observation effort and candidate seasonal role","Reproductive dependence: Mate; nest; egg; dependent young; provisioning adult; uncertain association","Response to approach: No detected change; vigilance; interrupted activity; displacement; defensive behaviour; unknown","Intervention eligibility: Observation only; specialist assessment needed; authorised intervention; unresolved"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["A large white owl with yellow eyes and a rounded head without ear tufts.","Females and young have dark bars and spots; adult males are almost pure white."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identify and document the owl remotely, preserving uncertainty and comparison evidence.","Associate repeat sightings through readable marks, tags or other defensible individual evidence.","Monitor feeding, flight, breeding activity and responses to observers.","Assess whether a proposed approach or site activity could interrupt the owl's current activity or affect dependent young.","Refer documented injury or immediate hazard to an appropriate wildlife specialist.","Support capture, sampling, tagging, transport or release only after recording applicable authorisation and specialist criteria."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Collisions with vehicles, aircraft and power lines kill owls in winter.","Disturbance and feeding can change behaviour and lead to injury."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Appendix II, which lists all owls.","IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["This owl inhabits open Arctic tundra and may appear farther south in winter on coastlines, grasslands, farmland and airfields.","Its occurrence and breeding activity are observed in ecological surveys, wildlife conservation and assessments of changing prey availability."]}},"sources":[{"title":"The Snowy Owl","url":"","note":"Monograph covering taxonomy (Nyctea to Bubo), circumpolar breeding biology, lemming-cycle dependence, measurements, irruptions, and identification against other white raptors."},{"title":"Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), Birds of the World","url":"https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/snoowl1/cur/introduction","note":"Current species account used for identification, age/sex plumage classes, measurements, range, diet, and the eBird/Clements species code snoowl1."},{"title":"Bubo scandiacus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species","url":"","note":"Global Red List status (Vulnerable as of the 2021 BirdLife assessment), population-size order of magnitude, and climate/lemming-related decline rationale."},{"title":"CITES Appendices (Strigidae spp.)","url":"https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php","note":"International trade control: snowy owl is listed on Appendix II as part of Strigidae spp."},{"title":"Snowy Owl, All About Birds","url":"https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl","note":"Field identification, size, winter occurrence in temperate North America, and airport/open-country hunting habitat."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q170177: Snowy Owl","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170177","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Snowy owl","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_owl","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Which validated plumage and moult criteria support Snowy Owl age and sex assessment at each developmental stage, and where do assignments remain ambiguous?","Which body-condition measures and functional signs reliably distinguish normal resting from clinically significant compromise across ages and seasons?","Which regional movement baselines and observation-effort corrections support classifications of winter residence, passage and irruptive occurrence?","What species-specific evidence should govern observer withdrawal, nest buffers and assessment of apparently unattended young?","Which current jurisdictional rules and specialist protocols govern Snowy Owl handling, tagging, rescue, relocation and release?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q170177/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q170177/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T14:54:15Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:26+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 3 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}