| Eurasian Eagle Owl | ||||||||||||||
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| Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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 Range of Eurasian Eagle Owl
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The Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of horned owl resident in much of Europe and Asia. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for The American horned owls and the Old World eagle-owls make up the Genus Bubo, at least as traditionally circumscribed
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Characteristics
The Eagle Owl is a large and powerful bird, smaller than the Golden Eagle but larger than the Snowy Owl. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere The Snowy Owl ( Bubo scandiacus) is a large Owl of the Typical owl family Strigidae It has a wingspan of up to 200 cm (5-7 feet). Adult females can weigh in excess of 4 kg (9 lb), in comparison the common Barn Owl weighs about 500 grams (1. The city in Russia is spelled Barnaul. The Barn Owl ( Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of 1 lb). It mainly feeds on small mammals, but can kill prey up to the size of foxes and young deer (up to 10 kg/22 lb), if taken by surprise. A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Larger prey (over 3 kg/7 lb) is consumed on the ground which leaves the bird vulnerable (for example to other foxes).
The call of the Eagle Owl is a deep resonant “ooh-hu” with emphasis on the first syllable for the male, and a more high-pitched uh-Hu for the female (in German, the name of this bird is "Uhu"). Each member of an Eagle Owl population can be identified by means of its vocalizations.
The size, ear tufts and orange eyes make this a distinctive species. It has a strong direct flight. The difference between the male and female is that male's ear tufts are more upright than the female's.
The horned owls are a part of the larger grouping of owls known as the typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e True owls or typical owls ( family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls the other being the barn owls True owls or typical owls ( family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls the other being the barn owls The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae. The city in Russia is spelled Barnaul. The Barn Owl ( Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of Barn-owls (family Tytonidae) are one of the two families of owls the other being the Typical owls Strigidae
Habitat
The Eagle Owl is largely nocturnal and is found in mountains and forests with cliffs and rocky areas, usually nesting on cliff ledges. They live for around 20 years although like many other bird species in captivity they can live much longer, perhaps up to 60 years.
Although Eagle Owls are usually considered to be a bird of the great wilderness, they have been observed hunting vermin on open landfills in Northern Europe. For other uses see Water treatment and Land reclamation. A landfill, also known as a dump (and historically as This poses a certain risk for the owls as any pollutants the rats they feed on have ingested may be enriched in the owls. Eagle Owls that hunt on landfills have also sometimes been seen flying with waste entangled around their feet.
Eagle Owls have also been observed living in European cities. Since 2005, at least five couples have nested in Helsinki. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. [2] The number is expected to increase due to the growth of a wild rabbit population in Helsinki, most likely originating from released pet rabbits. Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world An introduced species (also known as naturalized species or exotic species) is an Organism that is not indigenous to a given location but In June 2007, an Eagle Owl nick-named 'Bubi' landed in the crowded Helsinki Olympic Stadium during the European Football Championship qualification match between Finland and Belgium. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, (in Finnish and Swedish: Olympiastadion) located in the Töölö district about 2 km from the center of the The match was interrupted for six minutes. [3] After tiring of the match, following Jonathan Johansson's opening goal for Finland, the bird left the stadium. [3] Finland's national football team have had the nickname Huuhkajat (Finnish for Eurasian Eagle-owls) ever since. The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland. The owl was named "Helsinki Citizen of the Year" in December 2007. [4]
Recent UK breeding
The Eagle Owl was not considered to be naturally resident in England, but according to a BBC TV programme (2005), a pair bred for several years in a valley in Ministry of Defence land in North Yorkshire. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in [5] There was some debate as to whether these birds were escapees or whether they have arrived naturally from the continent, which would only be a short journey from either France or Scandinavia. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well At the time the program was made, they had reared 20 young to independence, and three young were in the nest. Nothing was known of what happened to those 20 young, except that one of them electrocuted itself on power lines in Shropshire. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the
Another bird has been sighted several times in Heaton, Bolton, Lancashire. Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea This bird was reported to have died in mid April 2007 due to secondary poisoning, perhaps from eating a contaminated dead rodent. [6] The BBC reported a pair nesting and aggressively protecting their brood from dog-walkers on a nearby footpath in Lancashire, England, in late May 2007.
However, a more recent BBC TV programme (2007) reported that the Eagle Owl is becoming more common in the UK and is showing signs that it is becoming established, mirroring the recent rapid increase in the Buzzard population with which it shares some similarities, particularly prey and habitat. The Common Buzzard ( Buteo buteo) is a medium to large Bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia.
The recent apparent increase in successful wild-breeding has attracted opposition from those who believe the owl to be a danger to native species and young livestock. Perhaps as a result, a few 'new' Eagle Owls have been illegally killed, including the female in North Yorkshire that had successfully reared 23 young, who was shot dead in January 2006. North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in [7] This act was condemned as "disgraceful" by the World Owl Trust. [8]
A new pair in Bowland, Lancashire, have been attracting public attention due to having successfully reared three young to flight. The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren Gritstone Fells deep valleys and Peat Moorland, There have also been reports of a further two pairs active in the local area as well as another pair breeding chicks in Northumberland in 2005. Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west [8]
Eagle Owls have also been confirmed breeding in Scotland, with sightings of wild birds confirmed in Galloway, Invernesshire, and Sutherland. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Galloway ( Gaelic: Gall-Ghaidhealaibh, əŋ ɡauɫ̪ɣəɫ̪əv or Gallobha, Lowland Scots Gallowa) is an area in southwestern Inverness-shire also known as the county of Inverness or Siorrachd Inbhir Nis in Gaelic, was a general purpose county of Scotland, Sutherland (In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas Dùthaich 'Ic Aoidh (NW Asainte (Assynt and Cataibh (East The World Owl Trust now believes that the Eagle Owl should be added to the British Ornithologists Union's list of official British birds - indicating the significance of the increase in wild pairs in Britain. BOU may also stand for Bank of Uganda, the central bank of Uganda The British Ornithologists' Union ( BOU) aims to encourage [9]
In popular culture
The Malfoy family owl in the Harry Potter series is a Eurasian Eagle-owl. Draco Malfoy is a Fictional character in JK Rowling Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J
See also
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e Birds of prey are Birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing using their keen senses especially vision Bubo bubo. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ "At least five eagle owls live in Helsinki", Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition
- ^ a b "Bubi the eagle owl has not returned to the Olympic Stadium", Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition
- ^ (Finnish) Palkittu Bubi käväisi yllättäen palkitsemistilaisuudessa - HS.fi - Kaupunki
- ^ "Giant Owl returns after Centuries", BBC News
- ^ "Rare Owl spotted in Bolton", Bolton News - URL accessed February 27th, 2007. Helsingin Sanomat is the biggest Subscription Newspaper in Finland. Helsingin Sanomat is the biggest Subscription Newspaper in Finland.
- ^ "First eagle owl to breed wild in Britain shot", Bird Forum
- ^ a b "Feathers Fly Over UK Eagle Owls", World Owl Trust
- ^ "Eagle Owls In Britain", World Owl Trust
External links
- Eurasian Eagle Owl
- Eurasian Eagle Owl and other owl pictures
- Eurasian Eagle Owl Description, photos and calls
- Pictures and calls
- Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta
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