Eurasian Eagle Owl

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Bubo virginianus

CLASSIFICATION

Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	Bubo
Species:	bubo

SIZE

Length:	Male:	2 feet
	Female:	2.5 feet
Weight:	Male:	5-7 pounds
	Female:	7-8 pounds
Wingspan:	Male:	5-6 feet
	Female:	6-7 feet

APPEARANCE:

Eagle Owls look very much like the Great Horned Owl, but are much bigger birds. They are large owls with prominent ear tufts that are usually not raised upright. Because of this, their feather tufts probably help them more with communication and recognition than camouflage. Eagle Owls have a streaked breast and mottled brownish feathers. Some Eagle Owls have a lot of orange-brown feathers on the face, under parts, wings, and back. The Eurasian Eagle Owl, like most owls and raptors, has no color difference between the sexes. Their large eyes are a brilliant orange-yellow or a deep, fiery orange.

RANGE/DISTRIBUTION:

Eagle Owls are found across Northern Europe through Asia and can also be found in Northern Africa.

HABITAT/TERRITORY SIZE:

Eagle Owls prefer rocky outcrops and coniferous forests, but will just as easily hunt in open, plain areas. They are fairly adaptable birds.

MIGRATION:

Eurasian Eagle Owls are non-migratory birds.

DIET:

Eagle Owls typically prey upon medium-sized mammals and birds such as opossums, hares, foxes, ducks, quail and pheasant. They seem to prefer rabbits and hares. They will also eat insects and small rodents.

HUNTING METHOD:

Most often, Eurasian Eagle Owls swoop silently down on their prey from above, like other owls. Their flight action has been compared to that of a buzzard (hawk). They can catch their prey in the air or on the ground. Like most owls, Eagle Owls have excellent hearing and night vision.

BREEDING INFORMATION:

Eagle Owls like to build their nests on rock ledges or in caves and, unlike Great Horned Owls, will rarely nest in the abandoned nest of another bird. Their breeding season is from the end of February to the end of April. The number of eggs they lay depends on the availability of prey and may number from 1-4 in a clutch. The female does most of the incubating for the 32-35 days while the male searches for food. At about seven to eight weeks, the chicks are ready to fly, but still require food from the parents for several weeks after that.

BEHAVIOR:

Adult Eagle Owls will make a long, booming “oo-hoooh” sound, except during mating season when the females sometimes make a coarse “kraaah” sound (the chicks also make this sound). Eagle Owls are the largest owl in the world and are incredibly aggressive and powerful. They are able to attack a Peregrine Falcon and easily win. Eagle Owls have been compared to Golden Eagles in their ferocity, hunting style and territorial aggression. They will often dominate most all birds of prey, even diurnal species (except Golden Eagles).

STATUS:

Eagle Owls can live in a wide diversity of habitats. Despite their extensive range, Eagle Owls are never common and can be considered rare and locally endangered. They have been shot and trapped extensively and are subject to habitat shortages that come with deforestation.

FOLKLORE AND MYTHS:

Stories about owls can be found throughout history in many cultures, mythology, and even the Bible. Some liked the owl, but to many they were feared and associated with evil and death. They were often considered a messenger of death. If you saw an owl or heard its sound, death to someone you knew was eminent.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Unknown