Great Grey Owl

The Great Grey Owl is one of the largest owls in the world by length, though its bulky appearance is mostly fluffy plumage — it is actually lighter in weight than the Snowy Owl or Great Horned Owl. It has mottled grey-brown plumage, no ear tufts, and an exceptionally large, rounded facial disc marked with fine concentric grey rings.

The eyes are relatively small and yellow for such a large head, and a distinctive pair of white "bowtie" markings appears beneath the chin.

Key Field Marks

• Huge, round facial disc with narrow concentric rings
• No ear tufts
• Small yellow eyes relative to the size of the head
• White "bowtie" throat markings

Similar Species

• Barred Owl — smaller, with dark eyes and vertical belly streaking rather than the Great Grey's huge ringed facial disc
• Great Horned Owl — has prominent ear tufts, which the Great Grey Owl lacks

Range

Northern North America (Alaska, Canada, and mountainous parts of the northern United States) and northern Eurasia (Scandinavia to Siberia).

Habitat

Dense coniferous and mixed boreal forest adjacent to open meadows, bogs, or clearings used for hunting.

Movements

Largely non-migratory, but irruptive — individuals move south in years when prey is scarce.

Feeding

Hunts mainly at dawn and dusk, and sometimes during the day, perching and listening for voles moving beneath snow. Using its huge facial disc and asymmetrically placed ears, it can pinpoint prey under deep snow with remarkable precision, then plunge through the snow feet-first to catch it.

Voice

A series of deep, soft, resonant "whoo" hoots.

Nesting and Breeding

Does not build its own nest, instead reusing old stick nests built by other large birds, such as Northern Goshawks, or nesting atop broken tree snags. Lays two to five eggs, with clutch size closely tied to vole abundance in a given year.