Charismatic, graceful and mysterious owls were respected in ancient Egypt, and in Hellas they became a symbol of wisdom. Despite the stereotypes entrenched in society, we know very little about this nocturnal predator. We get used to the role of ornithologists to find out what is the largest owl on the planet, and for a start we will look into the distant past of the Earth.
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Ornimegalonix / Ornimegalonyx oteroi
The giant Cuban owl terrified rodents and other small animals during the Pleistocene, and became extinct about 7-10 thousand years ago.
The specific scientific name means “bird with giant claws”, but Ornimegaloniks could not fly. The wings were reduced, but this did not stop the bird from overtaking its victims. With a sharp beak and large claws on massive legs, she was one of the most dangerous predators in the history of the order of owls. By the way, a separate article is devoted to the flightless birds of the planet on our site thebiggest.ru.
The remains of a skeleton found by paleontologists show that the inhabitant of the Cuban jungle reached a height of 1 m 20 cm. In the early 60s, Pierce Brodkob managed to add three full skeletons of a huge bird of prey from the bones.
In the picture, we combined the alleged image of a Cuban owl and a stereotypical photo of a caveman. But in fact, the habitat of the animal is unlikely to intersect with the habitats of people at that distant time.
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Long-eared Owl / Asio otus
We pass from the fossils of the ancient inhabitants of the planet these days. A modern eared owl opens up modern species. Growing up to 40 cm, it is not large, but it has the largest feather ears on its head.
Settled from the Far East to the Iberian Peninsula, and in the Western Hemisphere nest in Central America. With a relatively small body size, the wingspan of an owl reaches 90 cm. It feeds on rodents, insects, and during the nesting period, birds also appear in the diet.
If you do not disturb, they get used to a person, therefore they can settle in the city, in forest parks and squares. One of the most common species of owls on our planet.
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Hawk Owl / Surnia ulula
A large bird of prey is found in the forests of Europe, the New World and in Asia. In Russia, a hawk owl has chosen the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. The length of the owl is 45 cm, and a long tail is a characteristic feature.
Feather coloring is also interesting. On top it is chocolate brown with white spots, but below it is absolutely white. It preys on small rodents, squirrels. Rarely, but can attack other birds, only if they are smaller in size. Like all owls, it has a sharp beak and claws.
One of the asteroids that astronomers discovered in 1911 is named after an owl. They use the image of a beautiful bird of prey in philately.
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Desert Eagle Owl / Bubo ascalaphus
The desert eagle owl, or pharaoh eagle owl, grows up to 50 cm, and received its scientific name after one of the demons found in the myths of ancient Greece.
The front disc of the bird is framed by a black rim, and feather ears are located on the head. One of the most faithful birds in the family of birds. Formed couples do not decay throughout life.
They settle in North Africa and the Middle East, and at the place of settlement are divided into two subspecies. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle, hunting mammals, rodents, small birds.
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Great Gray Owl / Strix nebulosa
The largest bird of the obscure genus chooses taiga zones and mountain coniferous forests for nesting. The body length reaches 80 cm, and with a flap of the wings, their size is 1.5 m.
Under the beak is a black spot, because of which the bird was called bearded. The feather ears typical of owls are absent, but there is an elegant white collar. Effectively preys on small rodents, but can cope with squirrels.
Chicks develop very slowly, and begin to try to fly only in the third month after birth.
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Philippine Eagle Owl / Bubo philippensis
A large eagle owl lives only in the Philippines, on the banks of rivers and freshwater bodies. They grow a little more than 50 cm, and are divided into two subspecies.
A secretive bird, because zoologists have little to say about the customs and lifestyle of a resident of the Philippine islands. It is known that they feed on fish and land rodents. The population of beautiful birds is sharply reduced due to deforestation and economic development of habitats.
In the mating season, couples are created, but in other seasons they prefer to stay alone. The female lays only one egg, and the incubation period is 35 days.
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Arctic Owl / Nyctea scandiaca
Because of the white plumage, the Polar Owl is also called white, and singled it out as a separate species in 1926. In the vast expanses of the tundra it is the largest owl.
Females grow up to 70 cm, but males are slightly smaller, only 50-65 cm by name, it can be seen that she lives in the northern latitudes, having fallen in love with some islands of the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Northern Canada and Russia.
In the vastness of our country are the main exterminators of rodents in the tundra. The symbol of the White Owl is widespread in heraldry. The image of a beautiful bird can be seen on the coat of arms of Novy Urengoy.
In the photo: the city of Novy Urengoy and its coat of arms.
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Virginian Eagle Owl / Bubo virginianus
A large bird from the squad of owls has chosen the expanses of North America, and feels free both in the forests and in the steppe and desert natural zones.
The wingspan of the Virginia Eagle Owl reaches 1.5 m, and it grows to 63 cm for the first time it was found in the forests of the Virginia colony and therefore it received this species name. Victims are attacked either from the air or from the ground by ambush.
It settles throughout the continent, not flying only to the northernmost latitudes. They hunt at night. In the summer, owls live in pairs, but they prefer to spend the winter alone.
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Eurasian Eagle Owl / Bubo bubo
The largest representative of the owl family in Europe and Asia has also inhabited the territories of North Africa and the Middle East. The massive barrel-shaped body is covered with loose plumage of ocher and reddish hues.
A bird with large eyes and a wingspan of 160 to 190 cm hunts small rodents, hares, and other birds in the dark, catching fish from the water like an osprey. In winter or on a cloudy day it can fly out to hunt in the daytime. On the head of an eagle owl there are characteristic large ears.
In Belarus and in Ukraine, it nests in almost all areas where there are mixed forests. It rarely changes its habitat, therefore it is considered a settled bird.
1
Fish Owl / Bubo blakistoni
A resident of the forests of the Far East and the Japanese islands, by far the largest bird in the order Owls. It grows to 70 cm, and the wing length is from 51 to 56 cm. Females are larger than males and weigh about 4 kg.
He prefers to settle along the banks of the rivers, as the eagle owl feeds mainly on fish. During the hunt, it dives from a height into the expanse of water, and grabs prey with its sharp claws. But he also learned quiet hunting, catching small fish in shallow water, or walking along the river rifts.
A sedentary bird that changes habitat only as a result of severe food shortages. It is considered an endangered species, and therefore the Fish Eagle Owl is listed on the pages of the Red Book of Russia.
Finally
So we found out what the largest owl in the world is called. For comparison, the smallest owl - Sparrow owl, weighs only 40-80 grams, does not grow more than 290 cm. If you want us to write about the smallest types of owls, write about it in the comments. TheBiggest.ru is always waiting for your suggestions and additions to your articles.
In the photo: Sparrow owl
In conclusion, let us mention one funny fact that, with the advent of social networks, videos with amazing graceful birds are inferior in terms of views in numbers to cats, pandas, raccoons and foxes.
Posted by Valery Skiba