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Eurasian Eagle-owl

Eurasian Eagle-owl

Bubo bubo

Identify the Eurasian Eagle-owl by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Eurasian Eagle-owl is one of the world's largest owls, instantly recognised by its bold ear tufts and striking orange eyes. Widespread across Europe and Asia, it lives in rugged landscapes from mountains, cliffs and forest edges to steppe and even city parks. A mostly nocturnal hunter, it takes a broad range of prey. Its global population is large but declining.

Did you know?

  • Tame Eagle-owls have been used to scare gulls away from nesting sites.
  • Its deep, booming hoots can carry several kilometres on calm nights.

Voice

Song
Call

About the species

Identification

A very large owl with large ear tufts and orange eyes. The underparts are pale brown with short black vertical streaks, and the upperparts are dark with black and brown mottling. The legs are feathered right to the toes, and the claws are large and powerful. It can be confused mainly with Long-eared Owl, which is much smaller.

Family

Strigidae

Size

Very large (swan)

Colours

brown, orange, black, white

About the habitat

Rocky hillsides, cliffs, gorges, quarries, forests and semi-open country, often near wetlands, landfills or clearings with abundant prey.

Diet

Mainly small and medium-sized mammals such as voles, rats, hedgehogs, hares and rabbits, and a wide range of birds up to the size of buzzards and herons; also reptiles, frogs, fish and large insects.

Behaviour

Mostly nocturnal; hunts from concealed perches or while flying low. Pairs hold territories year-round and give deep, booming hoots that carry far on calm nights. It lays 2–4 eggs in a shallow scrape on a cliff ledge, among rocks or on the ground; the female incubates while the male brings food, and the parents care for the young for about five months.

Sources

Photo: Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/), CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bubo bubo 3 (Martin Mecnarowski).jpg

Sound: Robert Petersen, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bubo_bubo_-_Eurasian_Eagle-Owl_XC604112.mp3

Sound: Mirko Tomasi, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bubo_bubo_-_Eurasian_Eagle-Owl_XC461330.mp3

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_eagle-owl

See also