Bearded Owl. Owl bird. General characteristics and field signs

Detachment - owls

Family - real owls

Genus/Species - Strix nebulosa. Great Gray Owl

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: 63-66 cm.

Wingspan: 131-140 cm.

Weight: 850-1200

BREEDING

Puberty: from 2 years old.

Nesting period: from April.

Carrying: 1 per season.

Number of eggs: 3-6.

Incubation: 28-35 days.

Feeding chicks: 20-30 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: Great Gray Owl (see photo of an owl) keeps alone in winter, in spring and summer birds keep in family groups or large flocks.

Food: small mammals, passerines.

Lifespan: 6 years.

RELATED SPECIES

The closest relative is the long-tailed owl.

The Great Gray Owl can survive the freezing winter in boreal forests thanks to its soft and dense plumage. She silently glides over the ground in search of prey or waits for it, hiding on a high branch, and reacts to even the slightest rustling in the grass.

BREEDING

The Great Gray Owl does not build its own nest, but uses the abandoned nests of hawks, kites or ravens. Eggs can be hidden in a stump or rotten tree trunk at a height of about 1.5 m from the ground. If there are enough abandoned nests, then several pairs divide even a small territory among themselves. Pairs that nest, behave non-aggressively towards each other and respect the rights of neighbors to the site. However, they attack all aliens that appear within their nesting territory. The female begins incubation with the laying of the first egg, and the male gets food all this time and brings it to the female. The chicks appear at intervals of several days. The difference between the oldest and youngest baby can be about two weeks. The down of young Tawny Owls is light gray on the upper side of the body, and whitish on the underside. The chicks hatch blind and deaf. At first, they do not even know how to regulate their body temperature, so they are completely dependent on their mother, who constantly warms them. The chicks call for food by emitting a faint squeak, and then a shrill, sharp "ooh-ix". Parents feed them small pieces of meat, later give them whole prey. The chicks stay with their parents throughout the autumn.

LIFESTYLE

The Great Gray Owl lives in the north in pine, spruce and larch forests of Sweden, Finland and Poland to Eastern Siberia. Birds are also found in Alaska, Canada and the northern United States.

Owl migrations do not depend on the time of year, but on the amount of prey, mainly and, whose populations are subject to significant seasonal fluctuations. If food is scarce, then the entire population of bearded owls migrates south, for example, northern European birds fly to southern Sweden to find rich sources of food. Some pairs are sedentary, but when food is scarce, they do not nest. The bearded owl is active both during the day and at night.

However, even during the day it is difficult to see it, because its wings, painted in gray, and a pattern of small spots that resembles the surface of the bark of a tree, perfectly camouflage the bird on the tree. The Great Gray Owl is most active at dusk, when the long shadows make it almost invisible. She flies out of the shelter silently, as soon as she notices the prey.

WHAT DOES THE TOWN OWL FEED

The Great Gray Owl preys mainly on bush voles, other species also become its prey - gray and red voles, shrews and birds, sometimes also squirrels, lemmings, moles, and even weasels. The hunting area of ​​the Great Owl covers meadows, swamps, forest glades and peat bogs.

The bearded owl often sits on branches at the edge of the forest and looks out for prey. She can turn her head 180°, which, combined with excellent vision, allows her to best observe what is happening around her. When hunting, the bearded owl also uses its excellent hearing. She hears quiet sounds and squeaks of mice in the grass. The Great Gray Owl is able to determine the position of the victim even under a thick layer of loose snow and, without missing, grab the prey with its legs stretched forward, armed with long, curved and sharp, like daggers, claws.

• The Great Gray Owl is hiding, motionless on a tree branch not far from the trunk. So its feathers merge with the bark of the tree, and the bird becomes like a protruding twig.
• Tawny owl chicks often act like little cannibals. The oldest and strongest of them, when there is not enough food, can eat their younger and weaker brothers and sisters.
• The Great Gray Owl is the largest of the owls, but it owes its size primarily to its plumage. In fact, the Great Gray Owl weighs almost half as much as other owls of the same size.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE TOWN OWL

Head: large, with a clear facial disc formed by dark gray concentric circles with white eyebrows and a black beard. Small eyes give the bird an almost demonic look.

Legs: with sharp, curved claws, with which the bird catches prey.

- Habitat of the bearded owl

WHERE Dwells

The Great Gray Owl is found in Europe and northern Asia, from northern Sweden in the west to northeastern Siberia, and also in North America.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The population of this owl changes annually, depending on the number or lemmings. In addition, the bearded one is threatened with the destruction of its habitats.

The Great Owl eats a mouse by turning its head 180 degrees. Video (00:02:03)

The Great Owl eats a mouse by turning its head 180 degrees and back.
I saw the Great Owl at the zoo in Prague, where animals live in enclosures, where there is a lot of space - trees, ponds, mountains - everything is like in wildlife. The bearded owl eats the mouse so cool and twists its head without crunching - you are simply amazed.

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). Video (00:01:20)

Bearded Owl. Video (00:00:20)

Strix nebulosa in Russia. A pair of Great Gray Owls breeding on a nesting platform. Nizhny Novgorod Region. 2012. Shot on Canon 60 D+EF 100-400 L

Voices of birds - Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). Video (00:00:52)

Great Gray Owl (lat. Strix nebulosa)
Big-headed owl, smoky-gray coloring without red tones. The eyes are yellow with dark concentric stripes around. A black spot under the beak, similar to a beard, for which this species got its name. The underside of the wing is striped
It lives in the taiga zone, sometimes in mountain forests. Distributed from the Kola Peninsula to the mountains of Primorye. From the borders of tall forest in the north to East Prussia, the Baltic states, the central strip of the European part of Russia (about 52 ° north latitude). It is also found in Siberia to Transbaikalia, the Amur region, Sakhalin and Mongolia. In winter occasionally appears in the Middle lane.

BEARDED TOWN-OWL. Video (00:01:52)

The Great Gray Owl is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful birds that live in the vastness of our country. The birds are gray in plumage color, with many inclusions of various shades. If you meet her in nature, you can decently be surprised at the beauty of the presented individual. Thanks to their plumage, these birds are perfectly camouflaged, literally merging with the environment. This breed variety got its name because of the dark spots located at the bottom of the beak. A whitish edging-collar is noticed in the neck area, and a beard flaunts below.

Features and Description

1. Individuals of this group are nocturnal inhabitants who are awake and hunt in the dark. The plumage is thick and protruding, the bird is very fluffy. If we compare the external data and the main characteristics, these individuals are quite powerful and impressive.
2. According to their overall features, owls are rather large than medium. Their weight is 900 gr. average. In length, the birds grow up to 50 cm, in all respects they are inferior to their relatives eagle owls.
3. In general, all external data are characteristic of the owl family. But the ears of feathers on the head are absent, which distinguishes these individuals from the rest. The head seems to be slanted, large. There are no cute features in the appearance, the birds look quite intimidating.
4. The beak is located high, squeezed from the side parts. The plumage is loose in structure and sticks out to the sides. Individuals are reddish or grayish in color. All plumage is covered with brown spots.
5. When a bird moves through its territory at night, it is guided by its locators. They are understood as folds of skin, which are auricles on the front. They are hidden under dense plumage, but they perform their function well. Owls hear an approaching threat from a distance.
6. The hearing aid located on the left side is smaller than the one on the right section. Usually a similar phenomenon is characteristic of the entire owl family. However, in this species, this aspect is so well expressed that even the skull is deformed. As for the shade of the eyes, they are brown, muffled.

Lifestyle

1. These birds are widespread in European countries. They are also found in Asia, on the northern side of Africa, in the United States of America. Owls are not uncommon, but prefer to stay away from humans. Also in the vastness of our country there are these representatives of the family.
2. Tawny owls, common in Siberia and the Urals, have a predominantly grayish tone of plumage. If the birds live in the south or north of the mainland, then they are reddish in hue with a slight brownish tone. Those birds that live in the Caucasus are pigmented with coffee and brown tones with black patches.
3. These birds are interesting in terms of behavior, they are very brave, for their family or couple they will tear even a strong predator. They choose a soul mate for life, they are monogamous by nature. When they go to choose a place of residence, they are guided by the presence of edges and clearings. From these places, the best view and, as a result, the opportunity to catch prey.
4. In their way of life, these birds are similar to other inhabitants of the owl family. Actively spend time at night, prepare in advance for sorties, gain strength. When the sun is at sunset, the birds begin to make bold and bloodthirsty attacks.
5. Due to the wide wings, the flight is very quiet, there are no air shocks. The prey does not have time to understand what is happening, as it immediately becomes eaten. Silence is considered a distinctive feature of these birds, they talk little and practically do not call to each other. This can only happen at night while hunting.
6. Birds, according to their characteristics, lead a sedentary lifestyle. They can leave a warm place, migrating to other regions for the winter. But this is extremely rare. However, experienced experts have not established what exactly influences such behavior.
7. Birds are always on the alert, especially during the daytime. They are ready for danger. If, in their opinion, a threat is approaching, then individuals immediately compress their plumage and become literally invisible among the trees. They can either rush to the attack, or completely silently leave the place.
8. Considered representatives of their species can stand up for themselves. If one of the strangers approaches the owl's nest, then it will defend itself very cruelly. At the same time, such birds are not even afraid of bears. Therefore, it is better for especially curious and predators to bypass the nests of these owls.
9. Protecting their own chicks, owls leave deep scars and even peck out the eyes of offenders. Even during skirmishes and serious fights with hawks, the individuals in question always remain victorious. It is worth noting that the owls try to keep their own territory, they also respect the boundaries of other relatives.
10. As soon as an uninvited guest steps into their own territory, these birds begin to actively chase him away. At the same time, the owls loudly and indignantly begin to yell. Birds also exhibit threatening behavior. Owls attack dogs, foxes, cats and people without any fear. It is worth noting that they ignore the provocations of annoying crows.

Nutrition

1. The considered individuals in Ancient Russia were called insatiable creatures, hence the name owls appeared. It is worth noting that although the owls are nocturnal predators, they do not try to attack large prey.
2. Owls visit the dense forest thickets at night. They silently glide between the trees in flight, looking for various small rodents. Often, shrews and voles become victims. Often, owls attack gaping victims from an ambush.
3. Literally in a split second, the owl overtakes its prey. During the hunt, the individuals in question rely not only on sight, but also on excellent hearing. In most cases, an owl attacks its prey with accuracy at a distance of up to 6 m.
4. Presented individuals often settle near people who have agricultural land. As a result, owls make life easier for farmers when they catch small rodents. Such birds often attack small birds that are active at night.
5. Often, such owls cause many problems for fishermen. The problem is that owls steal the skins of small animals and sables. Birds simply take prey from traps. The robbers do not have time to come for the trophy. Among other things, owls feed on amphibians, invertebrates and various reptiles.

reproduction

1. Often, the nests of the individuals under consideration are located in the hollows of forest trees. Most often, dwellings are located on cut-down edges, not far from moss swamps and under the roof of abandoned houses. Often such owls lay eggs for other birds.
2. When the birds independently incubate the clutch, the young appear after 5 weeks. After another 1 month, the chicks take to the wings and leave the parental home. They become completely independent after another 3-4 months.

The individuals in question have a unique character. Parents always fiercely protect their offspring and nest. Therefore, you should not walk alone through the night forests, and even more so look for the dwellings of the owls. At best, you'll come back with deep bruises.

Video: Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)

The largest owl of the genus Tawny Owls. Now the zoo is not exhibited.

Systematics

Russian name- Great Owl

Latin name- Strix nebulosa

English name- Lapland (great gray) owl

Detachment- Owls

Family- Real owls

The specific name "nebulosa" comes from the Latin "Nebulosus" meaning nebula or foggy. Among the names of this owl there are very interesting and unusual ones, for example, a large gray ghost, a phantom of the North, an ashy owl, a sooty owl.

The status of the species in nature

The Great Gray Owl is a protected species (CITES Convention). It is protected by local and regional legislation of those countries in which the species lives. In Russia, this owl is listed in the Red Books of many regions and republics.

To preserve the Great Gray Owl, it is necessary to promote its protection and strictly observe the ban on its shooting.

To attract this owl, artificial nests are arranged from branches, which owls willingly occupy.

View and person

Living mainly in the taiga zone, the Great Gray Owl has little direct contact with humans. However, cutting down old forests has a negative effect on its distribution (it has become rare in some parts of its range). In addition, owls die on the roads and from electric shock in collisions with power lines. The direct shooting of birds does not stop either, especially since in some regions of Siberia and the Far East the meat of the gray owl is considered a delicacy.

The Great Gray Owl is the symbol of the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Spreading

The Great Gray Owl lives in the taiga zone of Eurasia and North America. In Russia, it is found on the territory from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka and northern Sakhalin.

The main habitats are taiga forests with swamps and burnt areas, on which the owl hunts; rarely found in mountain forests.

Leads a sedentary lifestyle, but in years of low rodent abundance, migrations beyond the borders of the nesting range are possible.

Appearance

The Great Owl is a large bird, body length reaches 80 cm, wingspan - 1.5 m, but the weight is quite small - 700-800 g in males and a little more than 1 kg in females.

The general coloration of the body is smoky gray with a large number of dark stripes; red tones in plumage are completely absent.

The head is large, with a large (diameter up to 40 cm) and well-developed facial disc. The eyes are bright yellow, relatively small, and surrounded by dark concentric circles. There are no feather ears on the head. Under the beak there is a black spot similar to a beard, for which the owl got its name. A white "collar" is clearly visible on the neck.

The tail is long, wedge-shaped.

Like all owls, the plumage is loose and dampens the sound of air currents, which makes the flight of these large owls completely silent.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The basis of nutrition of the gray owl is small rodents, they account for 80-90% of the diet. She also catches squirrels, birds, frogs and even large insects. According to Finnish ornithologists, one owl kills about 700 mice and voles in 6 summer months.

The Great Gray Owl hunts early in the morning or in the evening, but it can also hunt at night and even during the day, especially in winter. In the spring, with the onset of longer days, the Tawny Owls move to hunt at dusk. Most often, it hunts from ambush, sitting on a tree and carefully observing, and most importantly, listening to what is happening in the nearest clearing, swamp or clearing. For hunting the Great Gray Owl, it is necessary to have open, forest-free areas. The main "weapon" when hunting the gray owl is excellent hearing and claws. An owl by hearing determines the presence of a prey, even if it is not on the surface, but at a depth of up to 30 cm under snow or underground. Then she flies off the branch and grabs her prey with lightning speed with her claws. Often, from one perch within a radius of 20-25 cm, the gray owl manages to get 4-6 animals. If the place is chosen unsuccessfully, then after 10-20 minutes. the owl smoothly flies to another tree. If the density of rodents is low, the Great Gray Owl hunts using the search flight method. It slowly flies around the hunting area at a height of 2.5-5 m and also determines the presence of prey by ear.

Like other owls, the Great Gray Owl often hunts near the nest, and only the lack of food here forces it to fly away.

The daily requirement of this owl for food is 150-160 g.

Feeding and feeding behavior

Activity

The Great Gray Owl can be active at any time of the day, but prefers the morning and evening twilight hours. In winter, when daylight is short, the owl hunts even during the daytime. This is perhaps the most "daytime" of our owls.

The Great Gray Owl does not tolerate heat well, so in the summer during the hottest hours, it hides in the shade among the branches on a tree. At the same time, she opens her wings, rises on her paws and fluffs her plumage, as if for “airing”.

Vocalization

The voice of the gray owl is a loud trumpet hum, with each subsequent “woo” lower in tone than the previous one. This scream repeats every 15-30 seconds. and in good weather it can be heard at a distance of up to 800 m. Near the nest, these owls make a different sound, higher and more sonorous.

social behavior

Tawny Owls are territorial birds, but the hunting grounds of neighboring pairs may overlap. Under favorable feeding conditions, the density of nesting gray owls can reach 58 pairs per 1 ha. In case of danger, neighboring couples often unite to repulse the disturber of the peace.

To other species of owls and to diurnal birds of prey encountered in their hunting areas, the Great Owl is very tolerant.

Reproduction and parenting behavior

Pairs of gray owls are permanent and probably form for life.

Nesting starts early. The mating calls of males in the southern parts of the range are heard already in February, in the northern parts - in March-April. Courtship is expressed in mutual feeding and cleaning of plumage, however, more often, the male brings food and treats the female. Then the male chooses a territory and notifies the female about it. She examines several sites before settling on the most suitable one. Usually bearded owls use other people's nests - buzzards, goshawks or ravens, located high in the trees. Unlike other owls, tawny owls renovate and improve an old alien nest. They use pine needles, reindeer hair, moss and pieces of bark as fresh bedding.

With an interval of 1-2 days, the female lays 2 to 5 white eggs. Incubation begins with the first egg and lasts 28-30 days. Only the female incubates, although there is evidence that the male may occasionally change her on the nest. The female incubates very densely; almost does not leave the nest, while she slightly raises her tail and spreads her wings and looks more like a hatching chicken than an owl. The male hunts most of the time and feeds only the female at first, and then the chicks. Hatched chicks are dressed in white down and, unlike other owls, develop rather slowly. At first, the female breaks the brought prey and feeds the chicks, and then they learn to do it themselves, and then the female also begins to hunt. Adult tawny owls at the nest are very aggressive, boldly attack and claw, trying to hit on the head, even a person and a bear.

The chicks leave the nest at the age of 3-4 weeks and begin to learn to fly. They fully fledge after 8 weeks, but remain at the nest for several more months. Parents continue to feed and protect them.

Lifespan

Bearded owls are long-lived birds. In captivity, they lived up to 40 years, in nature, of course, their life is shorter.

The history of life in the zoo

Now in our zoo a pair of gray owls lives only in the nursery, but until recently they were also kept at the Russian Forest exposition in the Old Territory.

The daily diet of these owls consists of 10 mice.

The Great Gray Owl is a large, large-headed gray owl with numerous dark and light streaks. Of all the forest owls, it is inferior in size only to the eagle owl. From the Ural Owl, in addition to the difference in size, it differs in relatively small yellow eyes, clear concentric circles on the facial disc, and the presence of a thick black spot (“beard”) under the beak. In general, it is somewhat larger, more heady and darker than the Ural Owl. The female is larger (more dense) than the male, the same color. Juveniles in the second downy plumage are generally darker and browner than adults, with dark spots on the facial disc, yellow eyes. Elements of this attire are preserved until autumn, in the latest chicks - until November. In the first adult outfit, they look like adults. Contact signs for determining young in the first winter: tail feathers are narrow (45-55, rarely - 60 mm, in adults - 55-70) and with pointed tops (in adults - rounded), at the tops - with a narrow white edging, which to in the spring it can be completely worn out, especially on the central helmsmen (in adults, the tops of the helmsmen are gray). In the first years, the flight feathers are worn approximately the same, in the spring their gradual change begins, and from that time on they are different in terms of wear. Weight of males 600-1100, females - 700-1900 g, length 63-70, wing of males 43.0-46.6, females - 44.1-46.7, wingspan 130-158 cm.

Voice.

The current cries of the male are similar in nature to the cries of the Ural Owl, these are deaf, low, humming sounds, but the structure of the song is different. It consists of about a dozen monosyllabic cries: "gu-gu-gu…", which at the beginning of the song are pronounced with an interval of about 0.5-1 second, then gradually subside and become more frequent, can almost merge at the end. At the height of the talk, the intervals between songs can be only 5-10 seconds. The cry of the female can be heard less often, this is also a low sound, but more drawn out: "goo". When disturbed at the nest, muffled cries are uttered "huf", "heev", hiss, click their beak, emit a mournful undulating "uyyyyyyyyyy". Hungry fledglings hoarsely shout: "psyit" or "zip". At roll call, the young shout sharply "wooweek".

Spreading.

Forests of northern and temperate latitudes of Eurasia and America. In the Ural-West Siberian region - from the northern forest-steppe to the northern taiga. In general, they are quite rare, especially to the west of the Urals. In the Trans-Urals and Western Siberia, they are more common and in some places relatively common. Sometimes they fly into the tundra and forest-steppe. They live in the nesting area all year round.

Lifestyle.

The most favorite habitats of the gray owl are the old taiga with swamps, meadows, burnt areas, clearings. Nesting density and the very fact of nesting strongly depend on the number of rodents. The mating calls of the male in the south of the range are heard already in March, in the north - in April, i.e., in fact, even in winter. They sing at dusk, at night, and often during the day.

For nesting, they use relatively open and firmly built nests of buzzards, goshawks and other birds of prey, nest on high "fragments" of old trees, if a depression is expressed. The clutch contains 3-7 white eggs, usually 4-5, their dimensions are 48-60 x 39-47 mm. The female incubates from the first egg and almost continuously. One egg is incubated for about 28 days. The male is not far from the nest, flying away only for prey. After hatching, the chicks are in white down, grayish above, the second downy outfit is gray-brown, with an indistinct transverse pattern, a dark, almost black "mask" is characteristic. The female does not fly far from the nest even for food, and with small chicks she is inseparable. Adults are very aggressive towards nest predators, attacking and clawing on the head and back of everyone, including bear and human. The chicks leave the nest at the age of about 4 weeks, climbing and flying over neighboring trees.

Despite their large size, the Great Owl catches almost exclusively small rodents; in times of famine, they also catch other animals, birds up to the size of a hazel grouse, and frogs. They hunt from a perch or in a search flight. They are active mainly at dusk and at night, but sometimes during the day. With an abundance and availability of prey, they live settled, and when there is no food, they wander, flying into cities and outside the nesting range.

The Great Gray Owl, as a rare species, is included in the Red Book of the Sverdlovsk Region and the Saldinsky Territory.

When describing the species of birds of the Salda region, the book "Birds of the Urals, the Urals and Western Siberia" is taken as a basis. Reference guide. Author V.K. Ryabitsev - Yekaterinburg. Ural University Press 2001

Appearance and behavior. A large owl about the size of a chicken (body length 59–70 cm, wingspan 130–158 cm, weight 600–1,900 g), 15% larger on average, twice as large, about half as light, although comparable to him along the total length (the eagle owl is stockier and looks more “barrel-shaped”). The impression of a very large bird is enhanced by loose plumage. The wings are very long, wide and blunt, the tail is rather long (noticeably protrudes beyond the ends of the folded wings), rounded. A very large head, even for owls, stands out with a very well-defined facial disc; in profile, the “face” is almost completely flat, as if cut off, which is clearly visible in flight (it is rounded in the eagle owl). The flight is silent, light, the wing flaps are slow, measured (“stately” flight in the manner of a gray heron), often gliding on outstretched wings. Leads a predominantly twilight and nocturnal lifestyle, but is active during the day.

Description. The general color tone is gray-brown or dark gray, more gray and darker than that of the Ural Owl. The top of the body is almost gray, on the back there are numerous longitudinal brown streaks, there are also light spots that line up in two light lines on the shoulder and wing. Top of head longitudinally and transversely finely striated with dark lines. The chest and belly are somewhat lighter, with large longitudinal brown streaks. From a close distance, small transverse "branches" of these mottles are sometimes noticeable, especially on the chest (not in the Ural Owl). The flight feathers are transversely striated, brown spots at the base of the primary flight feathers on the open wing from above form a light brown field that contrasts with the rest of the darker surface of the wing, and this is sometimes noticeable in a flying bird (the Owl has no such feature). The tail is transversely striated with relatively thin dark stripes; in addition, unlike our other owls, the ends of the tail feathers are darkened and form a wide dark stripe at the end of the tail, which is noticeable both in a sitting and in a flying bird. The pattern of the facial disc is very characteristic of this owl: thin dark concentric circles are visible against a gray background, a black “beard” around the beak and under it, white spots along the edges and two white half-rings around the eyes above the beak. The eyes are yellow (unlike our other owls), the beak is light. The "facial" expression is not "kind" or "wise", but rather "silly-angry" or "watchful-surprised". The legs and toes are feathered to the claws.

The male and female do not differ in color, the female is noticeably larger. The chick hatches in a white-gray dense down, which begins to change to a mesoptile at a week of age. The mesoptile is dark brown (darker than the color of adults and the color of fledglings of other tawny owls), the underside of the body with transverse thin thin stripes, the upper part with transverse dark and light stripes and streaks. The facial disc is darker, forms a “mask” (the fledglings have no other owls), it brightens with age, and concentric stripes begin to appear on it. The first adult plumage is mainly formed at the age of 4–7 weeks, but remnants of the mesoptile on the head and other places are noticeable until the age of 2–3 months. In the first adult plumage, the young bird can hardly be distinguished from the adult: it is slightly darker, the flight feathers are equally worn in autumn and winter (in adults they are of different ages).

Voice. The current signals of the male are a measured series of deaf humming calls of 8–12 syllables. uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu". The series lasts about 6–7 seconds, the interval between sounds is about 0.5 seconds, by the end of the series the sounds become lower, are emitted faster and quieter, as if fading. It is reminiscent of the long-eared owl's towing, but all sounds are much lower and pronounced much faster, but not as fast as those of a short-eared owl. The song is usually heard no further than 400–800 m. Occasionally, females also call similarly, but rougher. There are other sounds, quite varied. Fledglings emit hoarse cries " psiip"or sharp" yik-yik-yik».

Distribution, status. Taiga zone of the Northern Hemisphere. In European Russia, it is distributed from the zone of mixed forests (from about 55 ° north latitude) to the northern taiga. In general, a fairly common species, but rare along the southern border of the range and in densely populated areas. The number fluctuates depending on the number of mouse-like rodents. In recent decades, the number in many areas has increased, and the range has expanded to the south.

Lifestyle. It lives in forests of the taiga type, preferring sparse light forest stands next to swamps, burnt areas, clearings. It nests mainly in old nests of birds of prey, which are located near the trunk in a sparse crown so as to provide good visibility and free flight. Occasionally nests in depressions at the ends of high stumps. There are known cases of nesting on the roofs of abandoned buildings and on the ground. Does not build nests, does not make lining. There is evidence that the nests are always clean, as the female eats pellets and droppings. The clutch consists of 3–5 (up to 9) white eggs. The female incubates the clutch, both partners feed the chicks. Chicks are of different ages, since incubation begins with the first egg. At the nest, they behave aggressively, especially the female, they can attack people, beat them with their claws.