Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) Forster, 1772

 

Other names: Great gray owl, Lapland owl, bearded owl

 

Strix nebulosa is a very large owl, distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, this owl ranges from central Alaska to south-western Quebec, and, along the Rocky Mountains, south to northern California (subspecies S. n. nebulosa); in Eurasia -- from Scandinavia to Kamchatka, and south to northern Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and north-eastern China (S. n. lapponica). This species is somewhat nomadic in winter. Great Grey Owl nests in coniferous or mixed forests, often near openings, e.g., bogs or meadows. It uses old nests of raptors or tops of broken-off snags for nesting. Nesting period lasts from March through late May. S. nebulosa lays 3-4 eggs; incubation ca. 30 days. The young leave nests after 3-4 weeks. This owl feed almost exclusively on small rodents (e.g., voles, lemmings, etc.), although it catches hares, shrews, and birds occasionally.

 

		6150 Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) Thickson Woods, Durham region Ontario, Canada Copyright © Michael Patrikeev All Rights Reserved
Unauthorized use of our images is NOT permitted.
Hotlinking or "pinning" of our images to websites is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Copyright © Michael Patrikeev - All Rights Reserved