Great Gray Owl
(Strix nebulosa)
(click on any photos / drawings to enlarge)
IDENTIFICATION |
Size: 60-83 cm (similar to Turkey Vulture). Description: Large facial disks. Mottled gray/brown on the back and wings, heavy vertical gray streaks on underparts. The amount of brown colouration increases with age. Range: British Columbia, the territories, prairie provinces, and northern Ontario throughout the year; southern Ontario and Quebec in some winters. Habitat: Northern forests, especially with clearings nearby for hunting. Nest: Abandoned nest of hawks or crows, or on a tree stump. Voice: Series of deep hoots, rarely heard. Diet: Mostly voles and other small mammals; occasionally birds. Behaviour: Primarily nocturnal, but often hunts during the day, especially during the winter and while feeding young. Notes: Canada’s largest owl, though not nearly as heavy as a Great Horned Owl or Snowy Owl. May plunge through as much as 30 cm of snow to capture rodents detected by sound. |
FURTHER INFORMATION |
Great Gray Owl |
Return to Owl Section Home Page
© Canadian Peregrine Foundation