Eagle Owl
The largest of Europe’s nocturnal birds of prey
It is the largest owl in Lorraine and the most powerful nocturnal bird of prey in Europe. It inhabits areas near cliffs, in the mountains, and in forests. It nests on rock faces, on the ground under a boulder, or in the former nesting site of a diurnal bird of prey. The eagle owl is a bird with a strong, stocky build, featuring a massive head and body. Its most highly developed senses are sight and hearing.
The eagle owl inhabits a wide variety of habitats, as evidenced by its geographic range: it lives in boreal, temperate, Mediterranean, and steppe regions alike. In France, it prefers mountainous regions. Its return to Lorraine is due to conservation efforts and numerous releases from Germany.
IUCN status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN)
Description
Bubo bubo
Strigidae
1,5 to 3,2kg
60 to 75cm
Rocky environments
Least Concern
18 to 22 years
Did you know?
Apart from humans, the European eagle owl has no natural predators. Only the lynx or the wolf could take down an adult, but such encounters are extremely rare.
Food
It preys on a variety of animals, some of which are quite large: rodents, hares, and birds. It is one of the few predators of rats, fox cubs, and other nocturnal birds of prey.
