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A photo of a Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo)
Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Bubo bubo

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl in Europe. It is one of the largest species of owl, and females can grow to a total length of 75 cm, with a wingspan of 188 cm, with males being slightly smaller. This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish colouring and tawny. The wings and tail are barred. The underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colouring. The facial disc is not very defined and the orange eyes are distinctive. The primaries and secondaries are brown with broad, dark brown bars and dark brown tips, and grey or buff irregular lines. A complete moult takes place each year between July and December. The facial disc is tawny-buff, speckled with black-brown, so densely on the outer edge of the disc as to form a "frame" around the face. The chin and throat are white with a brownish central streak. The feathers of the upper breast generally have brownish-black centres and reddish-brown edges except for the central ones, which have white edges. The chin and throat may appear white continuing down the centre of the upper breast. The lower breast and belly feathers are creamy-brown to tawny buff to off-white with a variable amount of fine dark wavy barring, on a tawny-buff ground colour. The legs and feet (which are feathered almost to the talons) are likewise marked on a buff ground colour but more faintly. The tail is tawny-buff, mottled dark grey-brown with about six black-brown bars. The bill and feet are black. The iris is most often orange but is fairly variable. In some European birds, the iris is a bright reddish, blood-orange colour but then in subspecies found in arid, desert-like habitats, the iris can range into an orange-yellow colour (most closely related species generally have yellowish irises, excluding the Indian eagle-owl).
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Eurasian Eagle-Owls on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Layla’jeanne Shanley
Layla’jeanne Shanley
Sunday 13 Aug 2023 - 11:50am
United Kingdom
A photo of a Eurasian Eagle-Owl photographed in Dunrobin Castle United Kingdom
Profile picture for Matthew Lawley
Matthew Lawley
Thursday 10 Aug 2023 - 8:42am
United Kingdom
A map showing the sighting location
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David Herscowitz
Wednesday 02 Aug 2023 - 1:19pm
Israel
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Joseph Whiting
Joseph Whiting
Sunday 30 Jul 2023 - 10:07pm
United Kingdom
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