Back Uhu ALS Bubo bubo AN بوهة أوراسية Arabic بوهه اوراسيه ARZ Bubo bubo AST Ohomisiw atisokan ATJ Adi yapalaq Azerbaijani Өкө Bashkir Auf BAR Īvs BAT-SMG

Eurasian eagle-owl

Eurasian eagle-owl
A Eurasian eagle-owl in Herálec, Czech Republic
Territorial call of male, recorded near Marianka, Slovakia
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Bubo
Species:
B. bubo
Binomial name
Bubo bubo
Subspecies

See text.

Range of Eurasian eagle-owl
  Resident
Synonyms
  • Bubo ignavus Forster, 1817
  • Bubo maximus [3]
  • Strix bubo Linnaeus, 1758

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides in much of Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia.[4]

It is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 centimetres (6 feet 2 inches). Males are slightly smaller.[5] This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish colouring and tawny. The wings and tail are barred. The underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colouring. The facial disc is not very defined. The orange eyes are distinctive.[6] At least 12 subspecies of the Eurasian eagle-owl are described.[7]

Eurasian eagle-owls are found in many habitats; mostly mountainous and rocky areas, often near varied woodland edge and near shrubby areas with openings or wetlands. They also inhabit coniferous forests, steppes, and remote areas. Occasionally, they are found in farmland and in park-like settings in European and Asian cities and, very rarely, in busier urban areas.[6][8]

The eagle-owl is mostly a nocturnal predator. Predominantly, they hunt small mammals, such as rodents and rabbits, but also birds and larger mammals. Secondary prey include reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects, and invertebrates.[5][6][8][9]

The species typically breeds on cliff ledges, in gullies, among rocks, and in other concealed locations. The nest is a scrape containing a clutch of 2–4 eggs typically, which are laid at intervals and hatch at different times.[6][8][10] The female incubates the eggs and broods the young. The male brings food for her and for the nestlings. Continuing parental care for the young is provided by both adults for about five months.[8]

In addition to being one of the largest living species of owl, the Eurasian eagle-owl is also one of the most widely distributed.[10] With a total range in Europe and Asia of about 51.4 million km2 (19.8 million sq mi) and a total population estimated to be between 100,000 and 500,000 individuals, the IUCN lists the bird's conservation status as being of least concern, although the trend is listed as decreasing.[11] The vast majority of eagle-owls live in Continental Europe, Scandinavia, Russia (which is almost certainly where the peak numbers and diversity of race occurs), and Central Asia.[1] Additional minor populations exist in Anatolia, the northern Middle East, the montane upper part of South Asia, China, Korea and in Japan; in addition, an estimated 12 to 40 pairs are thought to reside in the United Kingdom as of 2016 (where they are arguably non-native), a number which may be on the rise,[1][12] and have successfully bred in the UK since at least 1996.[13] Tame eagle-owls have occasionally been used in pest control because of their size to deter large birds such as gulls from nesting.[14]

  1. ^ a b c BirdLife International (2017). "Bubo bubo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22688927A113569670. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22688927A113569670.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference AviBase was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Andrews, P. (1990). Owls, caves and fossils: predation, preservation and accumulation of small mammal bones in caves, with an analysis of the Pleistocene cave faunas from Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset, UK. University of Chicago Press.
  5. ^ a b Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide by Mikkola, H. Firefly Books (2012), ISBN 9781770851368
  6. ^ a b c d Penteriani, V., & del Mar Delgado, M. (2019). The eagle owl. Bloomsbury Publishing.
  7. ^ Weick, Friedhelm (2007). Owls (Strigiformes): Annotated and Illustrated Checklist. Springer. pp. 104–107. ISBN 978-3-540-39567-6.
  8. ^ a b c d Voous, K.H. (1988). Owls of the Northern Hemisphere. The MIT Press, ISBN 0262220350.
  9. ^ Obuch, J., & Karaska, D. (2010). The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) diet in the Orava Region (N Slovakia). Raptor Journal, 4(1), 83-98.
  10. ^ a b Hume, R. (1991). Owls of the world. Running Press, Philadelphia.
  11. ^ "Bubo bubo". BirdLife International. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  12. ^ Gilruth, Andrew (2016-04-17). "Eagle owls – are they making a comeback in Britain?". Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust.
  13. ^ Life, Country (2020-01-28). "The six types of owl you'll find in Britain". Country Life. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  14. ^ "Overdue recognition: owl issued library card after solving university's gull woes". The Guardian. 29 July 2015.
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