Eagle Owl hunting bred in captivity in the Bird of Prey centre gloucestershire
Eurasian Eagle Owls are found throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, the Middle East & Asia, with some being found breeding as far south as the Sahara in Africa. Currently, they are not found in the wild as far East as Japan, or as far west as the British Isles. Some are found in the northern reaches of the Indian subcontinent, & until recently, the Indian Eagle Owl, living throughout the subcontinent, was considered to be a subspecies of the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo bengalensis), but is now regarded as a separate species (Bubo bengalensis). The Eurasian Eagle Owl was once resident in the UK, but was hunted to extinction during the late 19th century The Eurasian Eagle Owl hunts predominantly at dusk & into the early night. They have occassionally been found sharing territories with Golden Eagles, with the eagles hunting during the day & the owls at night. They are not prepared to live peacefully with all birds of prey though, in particular goshawks. They have also been found to drive away Peregrines from near to their nesting sites. They have been reported as regularly preying on buzzards, goshawks, gyrfalcons, Tawny Owls, Long-Eared Owls & other small birds of prey, including their young. While other birds, such as ducks, pheasants, pigeons & crows, may be taken (often in flight), their main prey is mammals. They are able to catch prey spreading a large range of sizes, from mice & voles, through rabbits & hares, up to foxes, young sheep & roe deer.
Size: 4096px × 2731px
Location: The Barn Owl CentreNetheridge FarmNetheridge CloseHempstedGloucesterGL2 5LETel: 01452 383999
Photo credit: © steven flaherty / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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