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Eurasian Eagle-owl

Bubo Bubo

Photo by sttweets
Published on Project Noah
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51.99, 4.47

Field Notes

Description:

The upperparts are brown-black and tawny-buff, showing as dense freckling on the forehead and crown, stripes on the nape, sides and back of the neck, and dark splotches on the pale ground colour of the back, mantle and scapulars. A narrow buff band, freckled with brown buff, runs up from the base of the bill, above the inner part of the eye and along the inner edge of the black-brown, "ear-tufts".
The rump and upper tail-coverts are delicately patterned with dark vermiculations and fine wavy barring. 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. Chin and throat are white continuing down the centre of the upper breast
The whole of the underparts except for chin, throat and centre of upper breast is covered with fine dark wavy barring, on a tawny-buff ground colour. Legs and feet 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.
Bill and claws are black, the iris is orange (yellow in some subspecies).

Habitat:

The Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle owl resident in much of Europe and Asia. It is also one of the largest types of owls.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (38)

love, love, LOVE!! What a spectacular bird!
What a spectacular bird. Looks so royal :)
Very, VERY cool! Brilliant photos! I saw one of these recently at the Cincinnati zoo - I ended up just standing there watching him for ages, he was so majestic.
@lori.tas: Added your recommended YouTube link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=37MNE8tOBG4. Thanks!
Thanks Elsa, it was a great (thou unnatural) experience to lay down in the grass and see a bird like this from just a few foot away. A strange perspective! A few other birds seen on the same day: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/5602177; http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/5533859; and http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/5582164
Thanks for info sttweets! stunning shots nonetheless :)
@Elsa, We don't have these in the Netherlands in the wild unfortunately. These pictures where taken at a kind of bird show.
This is beautiful! Can you let us know if its a wild bird?
@Tweact, Oh yes, he was,... with contempt I think
He is watching you! Great picture.
Every Owl is beautiful, and their wings are so soft, could not hear their noise..!!
Beautiful :) I did some work at a local owl sanctuary, and they had one of these. She was so majestic, and when she flew, you couldn't hear her at all!! I think this picture captures that majesty, I love it!
@GinaCatindoy & @SheaEckert Thanks!
Thanks for all your support during #earthweek 2011
Your picture shows me again what a beautiful creature this is.
@OemphaLoempa, @Eleanor: Thanks!
@Floris.Terlouw Right, thats what I like about this picture myself. Those eyes as fire
@SabinevanVliet. Thank you! Did you add to the contest pictures yourself?
@DyahRespati & @Joe Goodman thanks!
To me this photo, with the vivid and colorful eyes, represents the owls spectacular eyesight very well.

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