The Eurasian Eagle Owl is one of the largest species of owls. A female is about 75 cm (30 in) long with a wingspan of 188 cm (6 ft 2 in). Males are slightly smaller. They weigh twice as much as a great grey owl.

They inhabit many habitats from mountains to coniferous forests in Eurasia.

Eagle Owls avoid habitats with extreme temperatures including the high Arctic and humid rainforests. They prey primarily on small mammals such as rabbits and hares but will also take birds. Eagle Owls have been observed killing small deer.

The female lays an average of two eggs a couple of days apart. The chicks hatch a day apart. Growth is rapid and the chicks can increase their body weight sixteen times in the first sixty days of life.

Fun Facts

Eagle Owls are easy to identify by their barrel shaped body, ear tufts and yellow eyes. They are largely nocturnal but sometimes hunt during the day. Eagle owls live about 20 years in the wild, longer in captivity.