Herberstein Wildlife Park / Eagle Owl / Largest Owl in Central Europe

Bubo bubo

Sparkling eyes and a fantastic sense of hearing

With its size, powerful build, bright orange eyes, and feathered ears, the eagle owl is unmistakable. Its large, powerful talons enable it to seize and kill its prey. As an adaptation to hunting at night, it has a highly developed sense of hearing.

Did you know?

The eagle owl is the largest owl in Central Europe. It can carry prey weighing up to two-thirds of its own body weight while in flight.

Order	Owls
Family	True Owls
Distribution	Eurasia
Habitat	Prefers well-structured habitats with sparse forest, field thickets, and open areas; within its broad range, it inhabits a wide variety of habitats, from treeless deserts to boreal coniferous forests
Food	Mammals and birds up to the size of a hare or pheasant
Activity	nocturnal, resident bird (remains in its breeding grounds year-round)
Weight	1.9 to over 3 kg (females are larger and heavier)
Size	60–70 cm, 170 cm wingspan
Service life	over 25 years
Reproduction	From February through April, the female lays 2–4 nearly spherical eggs in shallow depressions, on rock ledges, or in abandoned birds-of-prey nests, which she incubates alone for about 35 days
Risk	protected under Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive
Enemies	Eagle

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