Photo: Snow owls head south for the winter

Snowy owls, commonly seen in many parts of Nunavut and Nunavik, are rare in the state of Missouri, but this one was photographed in a tree during the winter of 2011–12. This winter, snowy owls are back in the south-central United States. For more, read our story on the mass migration of snowy owls to the south. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MISSOURI DEPT. OF CONSERVATION)