Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Bubo bubo

Introduction

One of the largest owls, breeding has been recorded sporadically, notably in northern England. A review of records strongly suggested that aviary escapes are behind the sightings and breeding attempts.

Key Stats

Status

Very rare

Weight

2.8kg

Seasonality

BTO Records

358 records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

% expansion

No data

No current data

% expansion

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Songs and Calls

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Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Eurasian Eagle-Owl, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

Song:

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

1684

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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The current breeding population of Eagle Owls is considered to be the result of aviary escapes and deliberate introductions. The few records collected during Atlas fieldwork were centred on northwest England, with just two 10-km squares with confirmed breeding. Other pairs almost certainly bred during the Atlas period but sensitivities surrounding this species mean that not all records are available with sufficient spatial resolution for mapping.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in breeding season

% occupied in breeding season

0.3%

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

0.5%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Winter Distribution for Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution for Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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Bird Atlas distribution change maps show how bird distributions have changed through time. Coloured upward-pointing triangles show places apparently colonised over the period; grey downward-pointing triangles show places apparently vacated. Shading show places occupied.

Winter Distribution change for Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution change for Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Seasonality

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This species has been too rarely reported to BirdTrack during 2011–22 to properly assess seasonality.

Movement

Information about Eurasian Eagle-Owl movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Eurasian Eagle-Owl, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Classification and Codes

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Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Scientific name: Bubo bubo
Authority: Linnaeus, 1758

BTO 2-letter code: EO
BTO 5-letter code: EAGOW
Euring code number: 7440

Alternate species names

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Catalan: duc eurasiàtic
Czech: výr velký
Danish: Stor Hornugle
Dutch: Oehoe
Estonian: kassikakk
Finnish: huuhkaja
French: Grand-duc d’Europe

German: Uhu
Hungarian: uhu
Icelandic: Úfur
Italian: Gufo reale
Latvian: upis
Lithuanian: paprastasis didysis apuokas
Norwegian: Hubro

Polish: puchacz (zwyczajny)
Portuguese: bufo-real
Slovak: výr skalný
Slovenian: velika uharica
Spanish: Búho real
Swedish: berguv

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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