Great Gray Owl

Great Gray Owl

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About the map

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A huge owl of the boreal forest and western mountains, the Great Gray Owl feeds on rather small rodent prey.

Cool Facts

• Although the Great Gray Owl is the tallest American owl with the largest wingspan, it is just a ball of feathers. It preys on small mammals and has relatively small feet. Both the Great Horned and Snowy owls weigh half again as much, and have larger feet and talons.

Description

• Size: 61-84 cm (24-33 in)
• Wingspan: 137-153 cm (54-60 in)
• Weight: 700-1700 g (24.71-60.01 ounces)

• Very large gray owl.
• Round head without ear tufts.
• Black and white "bowtie" under face.
• Eyes yellow.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike in plumage, but female larger.

Immature

Similar to adult.

Similar Species

• Barred Owl much smaller, has dark eyes, lacks black-and-white throat markings.

Sound

Series of deep, evenly spaced "hoos."

Range

Range Map

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

About the map

Summer Range

Resident from Alaska to western Quebec, southward to northern Minnesota, and in mountains to central California and northwestern Wyoming. Also across northern Eurasia.

Winter Range

Resident in breeding range, but makes periodic southward movements to northern United States.

Habitat

Boreal forest.

Food

Small mammals, especially rodents.

Behavior

Foraging

Locates mice below snow by hearing, then plunges down through surface to capture them.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Broken-topped dead tree or existing nest of other bird species.

Egg Description

White.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless, eyes closed, covered in gray and white down.

Conservation Status

Negatively affected by logging and clearcutting.

Other Names

Chouette lapone (French)
Cárabo lapòn (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Bull, E. L. and J. R. Duncan. 1993. Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). In The Birds of North America, No.41 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.