A massive gray owl with the largest facial disk of any North American owl. Lives in remote boreal forests; hunts by hovering over snow to detect prey beneath.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The great grey owl is a true owl, and is the world's largest species of owl by length. It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and is the only species in the genus Strix found in both Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
Source: Wikipedia — Great grey owl Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Very large gray owl with a massive rounded head, no ear tufts, a big facial disk with concentric gray rings, small yellow eyes, and a white 'bow-tie' under the chin.
Similar species. Barred and Spotted owls are much smaller with dark eyes; the Great Gray's enormous facial disk and small yellow eyes are unmistakable.
Voice. A series of very deep, soft, evenly spaced hoots descending slightly: 'whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Small mammals, birds, insects; hunting style varies by species.
Behavior. A huge owl of northern and montane forests that hunts voles by sound, plunging through snow to seize prey it cannot see; much of its bulk is fluffy feathers.
§ Range
Boreal Canada, Alaska, northern US mountains
§ Habitat
Boreal coniferous forests, montane areas
§ Threats
Climate-driven boreal habitat shifts, secondary rodenticide exposure.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the great gray owl is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support boreal conservation. Skip rodenticides.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Great grey owl
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Strix nebulosa
- IUCN Red List — search for Strix nebulosa
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Strix nebulosa
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
