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World Owl Trust - leading the World in Owl Conservation
Saturday 4th February, 2012


Great Grey (Gray) Owl
Strix nebulosa
Great Grey (Gray) Owl - Strix nebulosa lapponica
Great Grey (Gray) Owl - Strix nebulosa lapponica
As of February 2005.
Description Large, greyish (grayish) owl with no ear tufts and very large facial disk. Generally greyish-brown (grayish-brown). Mottled upper-parts, and streaked somewhat paler under-parts. Grey (Gray) facial disk marked with dark concentric bands with short, white eyebrows and black “beard”. Small, yellow eyes.
Size 59-69cm, 800-1700g
Range From Scandinavia across Siberia to Sakhalin, Alaska, Canada and parts of NW USA.
Habitat Boreal and coniferous forest, and wooded parts of Taiga.
Food Mainly small mammals particularly rodents, also birds, frogs and beetles.
Breeding March-August, nests in broken tree snag or stick nest of other birds, occasionally on the ground. 3-6 eggs are laid and incubated for 28-30 days. The young leave the nest by 30 days and can fly within another 2 weeks.
Call Series of deep mellow, hoots accelerating and dropping in pitch towards the end.
Status Not globally threatened. Numbers fluctuate annually with food availability, but seem relatively stable over longer periods.
Comments None at this time.
Races No additional information.
S.n.nebulosa Alaska, Canada, N California, N Idaho, Wyoming and NE Minnesota
S.n.lapponica From N Europe across to Sakhalin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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