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A Eurasian eagle-owl with orange eyes and ear tufts perched on a snowy rock.
Photo: Martin Mecnarowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Bubo bubo

One of the world's largest owls, with orange eyes, tall ear tufts and a wingspan up to six feet.

🦉 Owls
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About the Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Eurasian eagle-owls weigh 3 to 9 pounds and have wings up to 6 feet across; females are larger than males. They are mottled brown with dark bars and have tall ear tufts. They live across Europe and Asia, including the Middle East, in forests, taiga, grasslands, deserts and rocky places. They eat mostly small rodents, but can catch prey as big as young deer or foxes.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Bubo bubo[1]
Size
Wingspan up to 6 feet.[1]
Weight
3 to 9 pounds. Females are larger.[1]
Lifespan
10 to 20 years in the wild. Up to 60 in human care.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Mostly small rodents, plus birds, reptiles and sometimes larger prey.[1]
Habitat
Woodlands, taiga, steppe, grassland, semi-desert and rocky areas.[1]
Where it lives
Europe and Asia, including the Middle East.[1]
Group life
Solitary. Pairs form for breeding.[1]
Babies
Up to four white eggs, incubated 34 to 36 days by the female.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • An eagle-owl can turn its head up to 270 degrees.[1]
  • Each eagle-owl's call is unique.[1]
  • Owlets can feed themselves at the nest after only three weeks.[1]

Vocabulary

ear tuft
Feathers on an owl's head that look like ears but are not.
nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
owl pellet
A ball of bones, fur and feathers that an owl coughs up because it can't digest them.
raptor
A bird of prey, such as an eagle, hawk or owl.
mottled
Marked with spots or blotches of different colors.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Eurasian Eagle Owl.” https://www.sfzoo.org/eurasian-eagle-owl/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Bubo bubo (Eurasian Eagle-owl).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22688927/113569670 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Owls

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