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reproduction
Based on observations of 19 young tawny owls tagged with radio transmitters, it was found that some birds start breeding as early as one year old, but in most cases - at the age of three years(Bull, Henjum, 1990). It is possible that in favorable years, all females and males, both old and young, who are less than a year old by the beginning of the breeding season, start breeding. We judge this by the fact that in the controlled areas, all the birds living here during the summer always find residential nests or broods, if the year was “mouse”.
The first signs of spring mating excitement (the beginning of active vocalization) appear in the Great Gray Owl in late February - early March (Leningrad region). At the same time, old, already breeding individuals relatively regularly begin to visit their nest, as evidenced by traces in the snow in the tray. The height of the current in most areas falls at the end of March - the beginning of April. Active courtship lasts about a month, but even later, even with chicks, in clear, quiet twilight, you can hear the courtship of parents. The main elements of mating behavior are the performance of the mating trill, aerial displays, and ritualized feeding.
In the literature relating to birds from the Americas (Nero, 1960), a case of copulation in flight is described.
There is an indication that, in addition to the nests described above, the Great Gray Owl “often” uses high stumps with a rotten core for nesting (Menzbier, 1895). In this regard, it should be noted that over the past half century, such facts for the territory of the East. Europe and North. There is no Asia, or they have become rare. In Finland (Mikkola, 1983), out of 185 reported cases nesting on stumps was recorded only 21 times. This arrangement of nests here seems to have become relatively common in recent decades, during the rise in the number of this bird. Only since 1974 have the findings of nests on stumps become known in Sweden, where 4 such cases have been identified so far. In one of them, the female bred chicks on a stump about 8-9 m high and 20-25 cm in diameter at the top. Observation of this pair gave reason to assume that if an owl nested on a stump once, then next spring she tends to settle in a similar way (Wahlstedt, 1976). Stumps occupied by owls are usually 1.5-3.5 m high and stand openly, in cluttered old pine forests. Unlike the Ural Owl, when using stumps, the Great Gray Owl never lays clutches in niches if the latter are deep and resemble half-hollows. In all cases, the incubating female settles right upstairs and is almost completely visible from the ground.
Even more rarely than on stumps, the Great Gray Owl builds nests on the roofs of abandoned outbuildings, as well as on the ground in the nests of the Rough-legged Buzzard or simply on the forest floor in the forests. Such cases are known in Finland.
Occupying the nest, the Great Gray Owl practically does not modify it, only sometimes it digs with its paws, forming a tray. No naturalist has ever seen this owl flying with building materials. The fact that fresh branches, for example, spruce branches, are sometimes found in some nests can be explained by the fact that the Great Gray Owl occupied a nest that some bird of prey had visited shortly before. There are facts indicating that this owl is able to expel even a goshawk (not to mention a buzzard, etc.) from a nest chosen by it (Hoglund and Lansgren, 1968; original data).
Egg laying almost everywhere in Eurasia begins in April: in the northern latitudes in the last decade, in the southern latitudes - in the first. It is possible that these terms may change for another decade depending on the forage capacity of the year. Observations have shown that during mass reproduction voles, tawny owls start breeding almost a decade earlier than usual. And, conversely, in hungry years, birds may either not breed at all, or begin laying eggs at the very latest (for example, in the Leningrad Region - only at the very end of April and even in the first days of May.)
Data on the rate of oviposition are contradictory. According to our observations in the Leningrad region. and in the Ussuri region, at least the first two eggs appear with an interval of 24-48 hours, and only the last egg is sometimes delayed for three days. The same conclusion can be reached by observing the sequence of hatching of chicks in nests. However, there are older works (Schaaning, 1916) reporting intervals between laying of each successive egg of 6-12 days. This, perhaps, happens in some females in a hungry year, but it is hardly natural and typical for the rest.
A full clutch contains 3-4, rarely 5 eggs. All in. In Europe, the clutch size varied from 1 to 9 eggs, averaging (n = 249) 4.4 eggs (Mikkola, 1981), in Belarus (n = 23) - 3.39 ± 1.05 eggs (Tishechkin et al., 1997). Note that this indicator in the Great Gray Owl is still higher than that in the Ural Owl and Tawny Owl. The egg shell is white, coarse-grained, but as the egg incubates, it seems to be polished and eventually acquires a slight sheen. Egg sizes (n = 100) in birds nesting in Europe are 49.0-58.1 × 39.0-44.7 mm, on average 54.0 × 42.5 mm (Dementiev, 1951; etc.) . Judging by 14 eggs from 4 clutches, in the Krasnoyarsk (Kislenko, Naumov, 1972) and Ussuri regions, the gray owl living in Asia lay slightly smaller eggs, the average size of which is 52.7 × 42.4 mm. The shape of the eggs in all cases is close to the correct ellipsoid. Compared to other owls, the bearded owl has more elongated eggs. The weight of a freshly laid egg is 47-52 g, on average 50 g.
With the appearance of the first egg in the nest, the Great Owl zealously begin to protect it, as well as the territory closest to the nest within a radius of 15-30 m. The courage displayed by the female knows no bounds. She even pounces on brown bear, accidentally walking along the path near the nesting tree, and drives him away. When approaching a human nest, the tawny owl furiously attacks it as well. In the literature, there are cases of exceptional aggressiveness of this bird at the nest, when, through its fault, people lost their eyes and broke their legs, falling from the blows of an owl from a tree (Ternovsky, Zaletaev, 1962; Vorobyov, 1978; Mikkola, 1983). Once, a female, desperately attacking a man, broke her neck, stumbling on an elbow exposed for protection. According to Finnish ornithologists, females nesting low above the ground or on the ground are especially “raging” and in years rich in food. In all cases, males behave reservedly at the nest, although they sometimes join in attacks, drive away crows that accidentally fly past, etc.
The attack of owls is preceded by a peculiar posture of “indecision”: the bird sits vertically on a branch, stretches its neck, at the same time fluffing the feathers on it, lowers its wings, while moving them away from the body in the shoulder region and bringing the ends so that the flight feathers cross at the level of the end of the tail. An impending attack can also be judged by periodic sharp turns of the head by 180 ° and a demonstration of the back of the head, and by an incessant long irritated hiss interrupted by a threatening click of the beak. Aggressive behavior is exacerbated during the hatching period of the chicks and gradually softens by the time they leave the nest.
The female incubates the clutch. She proceeds to this immediately after the appearance of the first egg. Incubation from the very beginning is carried out exceptionally intensively. In cool windy weather, the female does not leave the nest at all for 24 hours in a row. During this time, heavy snow can fall, the temperature drops to -25 ° C, but incubation is not interrupted. Being frightened, the female at the first opportunity, despite the presence of people near the nest, returns back. Incubation continues, for example, in the Ussuri region for 28-29 days. However, there is evidence that incubation can last 29-30, and even 36 days (Mikkola, 1983). Chicks in most cases hatch at intervals of 1-3 days.
A newborn chick weighs 37-40 g. On the 5th day, its weight almost triples. The growth and development of chicks largely depend on the abundance of food. There are known facts when, with its lack, the younger chicks were significantly behind in height and weight from the older ones, intercepting the main food. Thus, the weight of an older owlet can increase from 40 to 225 g in a week, while the younger one only increases its weight to 90 g during the same period. Under these conditions, cannibalism also takes place (Mikkola, 1983). As a result, even in years with average food abundance, a significant (up to 40%) departure of chicks is possible already in the first 15 days, and only in exceptionally favorable years does the brood survive completely.
The life of tawny owl chicks has been studied in detail in Sweden (Hoglund and Lansgren, 1968) and Finland (Pulliainen and Loisa, 1977). For the first 10 days, the female is almost inseparable on the nest - she warms the chicks and feeds them with food delivered by the male. Food transfer usually takes place outside the nest. Of the food brought by the male, the female feeds more than 90% to the chicks, and eats the rest herself. During this time, the owls begin to see clearly and become noticeably stronger.
From the age of 10 days, feathers appear on the wings and shoulders of the chicks (Sushkin, 1917), and now one of them, then the other is already crawling out from under the female. At this age, owls swallow small rodents whole, without waiting for their dismemberment. From this moment, the female begins to fly out to hunt. If in the period from the 10th to the 15th day the share of her participation in the extraction of food is negligible (2-6 sorties per day), then by the 15th-20th day she already hunts almost on a par with the male. Now the chicks are left alone for a long time. Up to 20 days of age, resting, the owls sleep like animals, lying with their beaks buried in the edge of the tray. From 20-24 days of age, they sleep sitting, leaning their backs against each other. The nests of the gray owls are always clean, the female eats the pellets and droppings (observation by V.D. Kokhanov; Kandalaksha Reserve).
Leave the owlet's nest in different time: the older ones sometimes on the 25-29th day, the younger ones, inspired by the example, leave the nest usually on the 20-25th day of life. The weight of the owls at this point is 400-650 g. The chicks leaving the nest are barely able to flutter. The bearing surface of their wings is less than half developed; down is abundant on the head and body. However, the owls at this time are especially mobile and restless. Constantly flapping their wings, they then climb the trunk, then climb the steep bough, and only having taken an advantageous position, from the point of view of waiting for the arrival of their parents, position, they remain here for some time and immediately begin to demand food with their voice.
A week after departure, still poorly flying owlets can always be found within a radius of 100-200 m from the nesting tree. Over the next two weeks, the fledglings continue to stay in the nesting area, and only at the end of this period the brood leaves it, but even then the family does not leave its hunting area. At the age of 40 days, the chicks already easily dismember large voles on their own, and at 45-55 days old they fly well and try to hunt on their own. At this time, for daytime rest, fledglings from fledglings are often located 50-150 m away. They spend their days in crowns, often on a branch near the trunk in the shade of branches. When you approach such a chick at 10-15 m, it hides, taking a “secret pose”. At the same time, the feathers on the body are pressed tightly, one of the wings, as it were, moves forward on the chest and covers it up to the beak, and the eyelids of the eyes half-close. If you continue to approach the owlet, before flying away, he can take a pose of threat - sticks out his wings, ruffles his feathers, opens his eyes wide and, if possible, rises on his paws, at the same time giving the body a horizontal position. In this form, it seems to be 1.5-2 times larger than in the "secret pose". Before flying away, the detected owlet fixes its gaze on the alien, then asynchronously begins to blink its eyes, periodically defiantly turns away, and only after that it takes off and flies away.
Nesting success is generally high. All in. In America (Bull and Henjum, 1990), it approaches 75-78%, averaging 3.2 fledglings per pair (n = 71). In Belarus (Tishechkin et al., 1997), the latter figure is lower - 1.34 fledglings per pair (n = 16). In Finland, 80.5% of eggs laid by owls hatched, of which 72.1% successfully left the nest (Mikkola, 1983).
Broods begin to disintegrate when the chicks are 75-85 days old. From this time on, feeding by their parents becomes less regular. Sometimes an owlet, demanding food, can scream for 3-4 hours, but never wait for food. By mid-September, the connection between young and old individuals, apparently, breaks completely. Young ones begin to roam widely. It is during this period - September-October - that most of the encounters with the Great Gray Owl fall, for example, in the North-West of Russia (Malchevsky, Pukinsky, 1983).
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Order - Owls (Strigiformes)
Family - Owls (Strigidae)
Genus - Owl (Strix)
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)
The Great Gray Owl is a protected species (CITES Convention). It is protected by local and regional legislation of those countries in which the species lives. In Russia, this owl is listed in the Red Books of many regions and republics.
Appearance:
The plumage of adult and young birds is generally light brown, smoky gray, with numerous mottling. The back is gray or buffy and has a longitudinal brown spotting. Vertex and nape with buffy tint and dark brown longitudinal and transverse pattern. The same pattern is noticeable on the shoulder and wing coverts, where, in addition to it, the light outer webs of feathers sometimes form clear transverse bands. Breast, belly and sides are light gray, with rare irregular brown spotting, sometimes forming discontinuous longitudinal rows. The flight feathers are dark brown, with light transverse stripes, especially developed on the inner webs. The facial disc is whitish, with sharp dark brown concentric circles. The inner and partially lower edges of the facial disc are framed with almost white feathers, which create a pattern in the form of two crescents touching backs. The throat is black-brown, in the form of a wedge ("beard"). The iris of the eyes in sexually mature individuals is bright lemon-yellow, less often orange-yellow. The beak is light, yellowish. Nails are blackish.
Newly hatched chicks are almost completely covered with thick, light, almost white fluff. The skin on the body is pinkish-brown, on the paws it is pale yellowish, the claws are dark steel, the beak is brown-gray, pinkish at the base, the iris is brown-violet.
Weight of an adult bird: 660-1900 g, body length reaches 80 cm, wingspan - 1.5 m. Females are much larger than males.
Area:
Taiga inhabitant and inhabitant of mountain forests. It can be found all over from the Kola Peninsula to the mountainous terrain of Primorye. The northern border of habitat is marked by tall forests and continues south to the Baltic countries, Germany, the center of the European part of Russia. Taiga climate Siberia, the forests of Transbaikalia, the harsh conditions of Sakhalin are also to the liking of this owl. However, she can settle further south, for example, in Mongolia. And in winter it sometimes flies into middle lane. Another continent where this owl can be found is North America.
If the Great Gray Owl chooses taiga stands, then be sure to high humidity- swampy, as well as alternating with open places - burned areas and wastelands.
Food:
The food of the gray owl is standard for most owls - small rodents. But sometimes an owl comes across squirrels or small birds, and sometimes a larger beast, for example, a chipmunk, sable, rabbit, weasel or hare, becomes its victims. Amphibians, snakes, and sometimes fish do not avoid the claws of a feathered predator.
It hunts early in the morning or in the evening, but it can also hunt at night and even during the day, especially in winter. Most often, it hunts from ambush, sitting on a tree and carefully observing, and most importantly, listening to what is happening in the nearest clearing, swamp or clearing. For hunting the Great Gray Owl, it is necessary to have open, forest-free areas. The main "weapon" when hunting is excellent hearing and claws. An owl by hearing determines the presence of a prey, even if it is not on the surface, but at a depth of up to 30 cm under snow or underground. Then she flies off the branch and grabs her prey with lightning speed with her claws.
Reproduction:
Pairs of gray owls are permanent and form for life.
The mating games of the Great Gray Owl begin in the spring and are marked by loud peculiar trills of males. Courtship is expressed in mutual feeding and cleaning of plumage, however, more often, the male brings food and treats the female. Then the male chooses a territory and notifies the female about it. She examines several sites before settling on the most suitable one. Usually they use other people's nests - buzzards, goshawks or ravens, located high in the trees. Unlike other owls, tawny owls renovate and improve an old alien nest. They use pine needles, reindeer hair, moss and pieces of bark as fresh bedding.
Clutch contains 2 to 4 white eggs. The female incubates, sits very firmly on the eggs, and her wings and tail are raised high, so that the bird resembles a hatching chicken. Incubation begins with the first egg and lasts 28-30 days.
The male hunts most of the time and feeds only the female at first, and then the chicks. Hatched chicks are dressed in white down and, unlike other owls, develop rather slowly. At first, the female breaks the brought prey and feeds the chicks, and then they learn to do it themselves, and then the female also begins to hunt. Adult tawny owls at the nest are very aggressive, boldly attack and claw, trying to hit on the head, even a person and a bear.
The chicks leave the nest at the age of 3-4 weeks and begin to learn to fly. They fully fledge after 8 weeks, but remain at the nest for several more months. Parents continue to feed and protect them.
Our pets:
It is very difficult to distinguish between a male and a female in the Great Gray Owl, so our parents' names are uncomplicated Laura and Lorik. These two owls looked at each other for a very long time before starting a family. And we did not observe the notorious trills, because. this couple is very shy. But they are very attentive and loving parents. Laura and Lorik have already raised more than one brood and our bearded owls adorn more than one zoo.
Interesting fact:
The Great Gray Owl is able to regulate its own body temperature by spreading or, conversely, contracting its dense plumage.
There are cases of cannibalism among the chicks of the Great Owl. Chicks that are older and stronger are able to eat their younger and weaker brothers from lack of food.
The Great Gray Owl is a large, large-headed gray owl with numerous dark and light streaks. Of all the forest owls, it is inferior in size only to the eagle owl. From the Ural Owl, in addition to the difference in size, it differs in relatively small yellow eyes, clear concentric circles on the facial disc, and the presence of a thick black spot (“beard”) under the beak. In general, it is somewhat larger, more heady and darker than the Ural Owl. The female is larger (more dense) than the male, the same color. Juveniles in the second downy plumage are generally darker and browner than adults, with dark spots on the facial disc, yellow eyes. Elements of this attire are preserved until autumn, in the latest chicks - until November. In the first adult outfit, they look like adults. Contact signs for determining young in the first winter: tail feathers are narrow (45-55, rarely - 60 mm, in adults - 55-70) and with pointed tops (in adults - rounded), at the tops - with a narrow white edging, which to in the spring it can be completely worn out, especially on the central helmsmen (in adults, the tops of the helmsmen are gray). In the first years, the flight feathers are worn approximately the same, in the spring their gradual change begins, and from that time on they are different in terms of wear. Weight of males 600-1100, females - 700-1900 g, length 63-70, wing of males 43.0-46.6, females - 44.1-46.7, wingspan 130-158 cm.
Voice.
The current cries of the male are similar in nature to the cries of the Ural Owl, these are deaf, low, humming sounds, but the structure of the song is different. It consists of about a dozen monosyllabic cries: "gu-gu-gu…", which at the beginning of the song are pronounced with an interval of about 0.5-1 second, then gradually subside and become more frequent, can almost merge at the end. At the height of the talk, the intervals between songs can be only 5-10 seconds. The cry of the female can be heard less often, this is also a low sound, but more drawn out: "goo". When disturbed at the nest, muffled cries are uttered "huf", "heev", hiss, click their beak, emit a mournful undulating "uyyyyyyyyyy". Hungry fledglings hoarsely shout: "psyit" or "zip". At roll call, the young shout sharply "wooweek".
Spreading.
The forests of northern and temperate latitudes Eurasia and America. In the Ural-West Siberian region - from the northern forest-steppe to the northern taiga. In general, they are quite rare, especially to the west of the Urals. In the Trans-Urals and Western Siberia, they are more common and in some places relatively common. Sometimes they fly into the tundra and forest-steppe. They live in the nesting area all year round.
Lifestyle.
The most favorite habitats of the gray owl are old taiga with swamps, meadows, burnt areas, clearings. Nesting density and the very fact of nesting strongly depend on the number of rodents. The mating calls of the male in the south of the range are heard already in March, in the north - in April, i.e., in fact, even in winter. They sing at dusk, at night, and often during the day.
For nesting, they use relatively open and firmly built nests of buzzards, goshawks and other birds of prey, nest on high "fragments" of old trees, if a depression is expressed. The clutch contains 3-7 white eggs, usually 4-5, their dimensions are 48-60 x 39-47 mm. The female incubates from the first egg and almost continuously. One egg is incubated for about 28 days. The male is not far from the nest, flying away only for prey. After hatching, the chicks are in white down, grayish above, the second downy outfit is gray-brown, with an indistinct transverse pattern, a dark, almost black "mask" is characteristic. The female does not fly far from the nest even for food, and with small chicks she is inseparable. Adults are very aggressive towards nest predators, attacking and clawing on the head and back of everyone, including bear and human. The chicks leave the nest at the age of about 4 weeks, climbing and flying over neighboring trees.
Despite their large size, the Great Owl catches almost exclusively small rodents; in times of famine, they also catch other animals, birds up to the size of a hazel grouse, and frogs. They hunt from a perch or in a search flight. They are active mainly at dusk and at night, but sometimes during the day. With an abundance and availability of prey, they live settled, and when there is no food, they wander, flying into cities and outside the nesting range.
Great Gray Owl, like rare view, is included in the Red Book of the Sverdlovsk Region and the Saldinsky Territory.
When describing the species of birds of the Salda region, the book "Birds of the Urals, the Urals and Western Siberia" is taken as a basis. Reference guide. Author V.K. Ryabitsev - Yekaterinburg. Ural University Press 2001
Detachment - owls
Family - real owls
Genus/Species - Strix nebulosa. Great Gray Owl
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 63-66 cm.
Wingspan: 131-140 cm.
Weight: 850-1200
BREEDING
Puberty: from 2 years old.
Nesting period: from April.
Carrying: 1 per season.
Number of eggs: 3-6.
Incubation: 28-35 days.
Feeding chicks: 20-30 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: Great Gray Owl (see photo of an owl) keeps alone in winter, in spring and summer birds keep in family groups or large flocks.
Food: small mammals, passerines.
Lifespan: 6 years.
RELATED SPECIES
The closest relative is the long-tailed owl.
The Great Gray Owl can survive the freezing winter in boreal forests thanks to its soft and dense plumage. She silently glides over the ground in search of prey or waits for it, hiding on a high branch, and reacts to even the slightest rustling in the grass.
BREEDING
The Great Gray Owl does not build its own nest, but uses the abandoned nests of hawks, kites or ravens. Eggs can be hidden in a stump or rotten tree trunk at a height of about 1.5 m from the ground. If there are enough abandoned nests, then several pairs divide even a small territory among themselves. Pairs that nest, behave non-aggressively towards each other and respect the rights of neighbors to the site. However, they attack all aliens that appear within their nesting territory. The female begins incubation with the laying of the first egg, and the male gets food all this time and brings it to the female. The chicks appear at intervals of several days. The difference between the oldest and youngest baby can be about two weeks. The down of young Tawny Owls is light gray on the upper side of the body, and whitish on the underside. The chicks hatch blind and deaf. At first, they do not even know how to regulate their body temperature, so they are completely dependent on their mother, who constantly warms them. The chicks call for food by emitting a faint squeak, and then a shrill, sharp "ooh-ix". Parents feed them small pieces of meat, later give them whole prey. The chicks stay with their parents throughout the autumn.
LIFESTYLE
The Great Gray Owl lives in the north in the pine, spruce and larch forests of Sweden, Finland and Poland until Eastern Siberia. Birds are also found in Alaska, Canada and the northern United States.
Owl migrations do not depend on the time of year, but on the amount of prey, mainly and, whose populations are subject to significant seasonal fluctuations. If food is scarce, then the entire population of bearded owls migrates south, for example, northern European birds fly to southern Sweden to find rich sources of food. Some pairs are sedentary, but when food is scarce, they do not nest. The bearded owl is active both during the day and at night.
However, even during the day it is difficult to see it, because its gray colored wings and a pattern of small spots that resembles the surface of the bark of a tree perfectly camouflage the bird on the tree. The Great Gray Owl is most active at dusk, when the long shadows make it almost invisible. She flies out of the shelter silently, as soon as she notices the prey.
WHAT DOES THE TOWN OWL FEED
The Great Gray Owl preys mainly on bush voles, other species also become its prey - gray and red voles, shrews and birds, sometimes also squirrels, lemmings, moles, and even weasels. The hunting area of the Great Owl covers meadows, swamps, forest glades and peat bogs.
The bearded owl often sits on branches at the edge of the forest and looks out for prey. She can turn her head 180°, which, combined with her excellent eyesight, allows her to the best way observe what is happening around. When hunting, the bearded owl also uses its excellent hearing. She hears quiet sounds and squeaks of mice in the grass. The Great Gray Owl is able to determine the position of the victim even under a thick layer of loose snow and, without missing, grab the prey with its legs stretched forward, armed with long, curved and sharp, like daggers, claws.
- The Great Gray Owl is hiding, motionless on a tree branch not far from the trunk. So its feathers merge with the bark of the tree, and the bird becomes like a protruding twig.
- Tawny owl chicks often act like little cannibals. The oldest and strongest of them, when there is not enough food, can eat their younger and weaker brothers and sisters.
- The Great Gray Owl is the largest of the owls, but it owes its size primarily to its plumage. In fact, the Great Gray Owl weighs almost half as much as other owls of the same size.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE TOWN OWL
Head: large, with a clear facial disc formed by dark gray concentric circles with white eyebrows and a black beard. Small eyes give the bird an almost demonic look.
Legs: with sharp, curved claws, with which the bird catches prey.
- Habitat of the bearded owl
WHERE Dwells
The Great Gray Owl is found in Europe and northern Asia, from northern Sweden in the west to northeastern Siberia, and also in North America.
PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION
The population of this owl changes annually, depending on the number or lemmings. In addition, the bearded one is threatened with the destruction of its habitats.
The Great Owl eats a mouse by turning its head 180 degrees. Video (00:02:03)
The Great Owl eats a mouse by turning its head 180 degrees and back.
I saw the Great Owl at the zoo in Prague, where animals live in enclosures, where there is a lot of space - trees, ponds, mountains - everything is like in wildlife. The bearded owl eats the mouse so cool and twists its head without crunching - you are simply amazed.
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). Video (00:01:20)
Bearded Owl. Video (00:00:20)
Strix nebulosa in Russia. A pair of Great Gray Owls breeding on a nesting platform. Nizhny Novgorod Region. 2012. Shot on Canon 60 D+EF 100-400 L
Voices of birds - Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). Video (00:00:52)
Great Gray Owl (lat. Strix nebulosa)
Big-headed owl, smoky-gray coloring without red tones. The eyes are yellow with dark concentric stripes around. A black spot under the beak, similar to a beard, for which this species got its name. The underside of the wing is striped
It lives in the taiga zone, sometimes in mountain forests. Distributed from the Kola Peninsula to the mountains of Primorye. From the borders of tall forest in the north to East Prussia, the Baltic states, the central strip of the European part of Russia (about 52 ° north latitude). It is also found in Siberia to Transbaikalia, the Amur region, Sakhalin and Mongolia. In winter occasionally appears in the Middle lane.
BEARDED TOWN-OWL. Video (00:01:52)
