Bird Album
Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758)
80 cmLength170 cmWingspan2.7 kgWeight
One of the largest owls, it has long ear tufts and orange eyes.
Busiest months: April · Most records: Spain, United States, China
Looks like Long-eared Owl, Snowy Owl
How to identify
Field marks
- Ear-coverts very long, forming prominent tufts
- Eyes conspicuous orange-yellow
- Body feathers rufous-brown, with large black patches on the upper back and wings
- Belly with fine barring and bold streaks
Male, female and young
Female larger but otherwise almost indistinguishable; male reportedly has more upright ear tufts.
Voice
When alarmed, it forcefully claps its upper and lower mandibles together, producing clear clacking sounds as a warning.
Similar species
Where and when it's recorded
Eurasian Eagle-Owl has been recorded at 315 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 34 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Monfragüe PN – Portilla del TiétarSpain687 records
- Casares – CastilloSpain666 records
- Central ParkUnited States297 records
More places
- Sureste PNat – Soto de las JuntasSpain289 records
- Sureste PNat – Laguna de El CampilloSpain227 records
- Monfragüe PNSpain205 records
- Central Park – North EndUnited States166 records
- Parque El Retiro-MadridSpain119 records
- Sureste PNat – Lagunas de Velilla de San AntonioSpain114 records
- Sureste PNat – Ruta del Soto GutiérrezSpain111 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides much over Eurasia. It is often just called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Eurasian Eagle-Owl?
The Eurasian Eagle-Owl is about 80 cm long, with a wingspan of 170 cm and weighs around 2.7 kg.
Where does the Eurasian Eagle-Owl live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread. It is most often recorded in Spain, United States and China.
When is the best time to see the Eurasian Eagle-Owl?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Eurasian Eagle-Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian Eagle-Owl as Least Concern.
What does the Eurasian Eagle-Owl eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Eurasian Eagle-Owl in?
It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 80 cm
- Wingspan
- 170 cm
- Weight
- 2.7 kg
- Habitat
- Rocky terrain
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 438 mm
- Tail
- 244 mm
- Bill
- 50 mm
- Tarsus
- 80 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 7
- Bubo bubo turcomanus Kazakhstan to w Mongolia and nw China
- Bubo bubo omissus ne Iran and Turkmenistan to w China
- Bubo bubo hemachalanus w Himalayas to w Tibet
- Bubo bubo tibetanus Tibetan Plateau
- Bubo bubo tarimensis e Tarim Basin (w China) to s Mongolia
- Bubo bubo kiautschensis e China and Korean Pen.
- Bubo bubo ussuriensis se Siberia and e Mongolia to ne China and e Siberia
Classification
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Owls Strigidae
- Genus
- Bubo
Other birds in the genus Bubo
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
Lesser Horned OwlBubo magellanicus
Indian Eagle-OwlBubo bengalensis
Pharaoh Eagle-OwlBubo ascalaphus
Cape Eagle-OwlBubo capensis
Arabian Eagle-OwlBubo milesi
Greyish Eagle-OwlBubo cinerascens
Spotted Eagle-OwlBubo africanus
Papuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorpha
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/). ↗
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