This gorgeous Snowy Owl photograph was taken by Mark Maxwell Photography at the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Reserve in Middletown, Rhode Island.

Photograph dimensions: 12” high x 18” wide

The regal Snowy Owl is one of the few birds that can get even non-birders to come out for a look. This largest (by weight) North American owl shows up irregularly in winter to hunt in windswept fields or dunes, a pale shape with catlike yellow eyes. Snowy Owls spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight.