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Great Gray Owls plunge- dive to catch prey under the snow.  They can punch through crust strong enough to support a 175-pound person.
Plunge dive sequence:
(1) Listen from perch and locate prey under snow.
(2) Fly slowly to spot above prey.
(3) Plunge down, face- and feet-first, with clenched “fists.”
(4) Crash through  crust with clenched feet.
(5) Reach around under snow with long legs.  Can reach 1 1/2 feet or further.
(6) Come up with prey held in one foot.
(7) Fly back to perch and swallow prey.
Great Gray Owl is the largest North American owl (shown with 12” ruler), but it has comparatively small feet.
Closeup of Great Gray Owl foot.
Small feet allows owl to punch through crust, but restricts it to small prey.
Three large northern owls: (L-R) Snowy Owl, Great Gray Owl, Great Horned Owl.
Feet of large northern owls:
•Great Gray has the smallest feet, Great Horned has the largest.
•The larger feet of Snowy (L) and Great Horned Owl (R) allow them to take larger prey than Great Gray Owl, but restrict their ability to break through snow crust.
•Great Gray Owl takes almost entirely small prey, which typically forages under the snow in winter. •Snowy and Great Horned Owl take substantial amounts of medium- and large-sized prey, consistent with their larger foot size. •Snowy and Great Horned Owl are flexible in their prey choice.  Snowy prefers lemmings but will take larger prey when necessary.  Great Horned has largest feet and prefers largest prey, but will take all sizes as available.
•Medium and large prey are mostly found above, not under, snow cover.
Medium and small northern owls:  Northern Hawk Owl (L), Northern Saw-whet Owl (R), and Boreal Owl (second from R), flanking Great Gray Owl.
Northern Hawk Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and Boreal Owl have small feet, limiting them to small prey.  However, these owls are not heavy enough to punch through snow crust.
Small northern owls use various strategies to avoid having to contend with snow crust in winter.