Strix nebulosa
With a face in the shape of a satellite dish, the Great Gray Owl lets scarcely a scurry or twitch escape its attention. This magnificent sensory structure swivels smoothly, focusing instantly on sounds and movement in the owl's often bleak environment. Once a vole is detected, the Great Gray launches itself from its perch, glides in on fixed wings and often punches through deep snow to acquire its meal. This most regal and impressive owl is one of the most sought-after birding experiences in the Rocky Mountains. Although the magnificent Great Gray Owl is the largest of all North American owls, it is outweighed by as much as 15 percent by the Snowy Owl and the Great Horned Owl. The Great Gray Owl lives throughout the northern hemisphere. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: gray plumage; large, rounded head; no ear tufts; yellow eyes; well-defined, ringed facial disk; white throat; long tail. Size: L 24-33 in. (61-84 cm); W 54-60 in. (137-152 cm); female is a little larger. Range: uncommon resident in the central and northern U.S. Rockies and the Canadian Rockies. Habitat: forest clearings, roadsides and open meadows in the montane and the subalpine. Nesting: typically in the boreal forest, usually near spruce bogs or muskeg; in abandoned hawk, raven or eagle nests; occasionally nests atop a tall stump; adds little nest material; female incubates 2-4 eggs for up to 36 days. Feeding: listens and watches from a perch; then swoops to catch voles, mice, shrews, gophers, squirrels and small hares. Voice: slow, deep, almost inaudible hoot hoot. Similar Species: Great Horned Owl: ear tufts. Snowy Owl: white plumage. |
