Safe zone. The snowy owl allows no predators near its nest, and other birds take advantage of this safety by moving in nearby. Unlike most owls, the snowy owl hunts during the daytime, with lemmings and other voles being favored prey. Nesting success is tied to lemming numbers; in times of plenty, the owl lays more eggs and practices bigamy. But this canny hunter has no strategy to escape the effects of climate change on prey availability or the danger of collisions with man-made objects. Nowhere is truly safe.