Birds Codexery

Eurasian eagle-owl

One of the largest and most widely distributed owl species.

Last updated

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a large owl species found across much of Eurasia, often simply called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia.[1] According to Mikkola (2012), female Eurasian eagle-owls attain a maximum length of 75 cm and a wingspan of 188 cm, while males are somewhat smaller.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassAves
  4. OrderStrigiformes
  5. FamilyStrigidae
  6. GenusBubo
  7. SpeciesBubo bubo

Named by (Linnaeus, 1758)

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Eurasian eagle-owl (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 1506637 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2025

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Eurasian eagle-owl and a personA 0.75 m long eurasian eagle-owl drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.75 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.75 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Eurasian eagle-owl

Where the eurasian eagle-owl has been recorded

Where the eurasian eagle-owl has been recorded13 mapped locations from 170,841 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (170,841 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 296 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Biology and range

The species has a total range in Europe and Asia of about 51.4 million km², with a total population estimated between 100,000 and 500,000 individuals.[3] Cliff ledges, gullies, rocky areas, and other hidden spots serve as typical breeding locations for this species.[4] The female handles egg incubation and brooding of the young, while the male supplies food for both her and the nestlings.[4][5] Coniferous forests, steppes, and remote areas are also inhabited, and they occasionally appear in farmland and park-like environments within European and Asian cities.[6]

What the specialist sources record

The Owlpages.com account states that general consensus points towards the Eurasian Eagle Owl being the largest in weight and average length.[7] The same source notes that Blakiston's Fish Owl has unpublished average and maximum weights exceeding the Eurasian Eagle Owl.[7] The Raptor Foundation account gives a length range of 58-73 cm, a wingspan of 150-200 cm, and a weight range of 1600-4200 g for the species.[8] That account also reports that Eurasian Eagle Owls are found throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia, with some breeding as far south as the Sahara in Africa.[8]

The Raptor Foundation further states that the species hunts predominantly at dusk and into the early night.[8] Owlpages.com describes the pellets as somewhat compressed, irregularly cylindrical or conical, averaging about 75 x 32 mm.[9] The same source reports that one clutch per year of 1-4 white eggs is laid, measuring 56-73 mm x 44.2-53 mm and weighing 75-80 g.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Eurasian eagle-owl" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Andrews, P. (1990). Owls, caves and fossils: predation, preservation and accumulation of small mammal bones in caves, with an analysis of the Pleistocene cave f (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Eurasian eagle-owl" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Owls of the World: A Photographic Guide by Mikkola, H. Firefly Books (2012), (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Eurasian eagle-owl" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hume, R. (1991). Owls of the world. Running Press, Philadelphia.; "Bubo bubo", BirdLife International; BirdLife International, "Bubo bubo", 2017; BirdLife International, "Bubo bubo", 2017; Gilruth, Andrew, "Eagle owls – are they making a comeback in Britain?", Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, 2016-04-17; Life, "The six types of owl you'll find in Britain", Country Life, 2020-01-28; "Overdue recognition: owl issued library card after solving university's gull woes", The Guardian, 29 July 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Eurasian eagle-owl" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Penteriani, V., & del Mar Delgado, M. (2019). The eagle owl. Bloomsbury Publishing.; Voous, K.H. (1988). Owls of the Northern Hemisphere. The MIT Press, .; Hume, R. (1991). Owls of the world. Running Press, Philadelphia. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Eurasian eagle-owl" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Voous, K.H. (1988). Owls of the Northern Hemisphere. The MIT Press, . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Eurasian eagle-owl" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Penteriani, V., & del Mar Delgado, M. (2019). The eagle owl. Bloomsbury Publishing.; Voous, K.H. (1988). Owls of the Northern Hemisphere. The MIT Press, . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. "Owl Frequently Asked Questions", Owlpages.com. facts only, no text reused. owlpages.com
  8. Frost, Paul K., "Eurasian Eagle Owl", The Raptor Foundation. facts only, no text reused. pauldfrost.co.uk
  9. "Eurasian Eagle Owl – Bubo bubo – Information, Pictures, Sounds", Owlpages.com, 2005-04-21. facts only, no text reused. owlpages.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Eurasian eagle-owl (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Strigidae)

Boreal owl Aegolius funereusGreat grey owl Strix nebulosaLong-eared owl Asio otus

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. To which genus does the Eurasian eagle-owl belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Bubo.

From the source: “The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides much over Eurasia.”

2. What is the IUCN Red List category of the Eurasian eagle-owl?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Least Concern.

From the source: “With a total range in Europe and Asia of about 51.4 e6km2 and a total population estimated to be between 100,000 and 500,000 individuals, the IUCN lists the bird's conservation status as being of least concern, although the trend is listed ”

3. What is the scientific name of the Eurasian eagle-owl?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Bubo bubo.

From the source: “The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides much over Eurasia.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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