Great grey owl

Great grey owl
Strix nebulosa lapponica, Forster, 1772

It is a large owl, not much smaller than the eagle owl. Its main characteristic is the large facial disc (short feathers growing radially around the eyes and beak), resembling the rings in a cross-section of a wood trunk. The great grey owl has excellent hearing, which allows it to locate prey even under deep snow. The first documented nesting of this species in Poland took place in Polesie Lubelskie in 2010. At present, its population in this country is estimated to be about a dozen pairs. It feeds mainly on rodents, mostly vole.
Distribution: northeastern part of Eurasia, North America

male / female
body length: 65-70 cm
wingspan: 134-158 cm
body mass: 0,5–1,1 kg / 0,7–1,9 kg