Range This bird is most frequently seen in coniferous or mixed forests or woodland from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe in a band across Asia to Japan. There are also isolated populations in China and in Central Europe from Poland down to Albania.
Diet Their main food is rodents, but they also take birds and squirrels.
Voice The call of the Ural Owl is not unlike that of the Tawny Owl I posted before to which it is closely related. It is, however, a very quiet and secretive bird, and it is unusual to hear its call outside the breeding season.
Status and behaviour in the wild The Ural Owl is, within its range, a most sedentary and strongly territorial bird, whose large size is a necessary defense against the protracted periods of extreme cold found in the northern end of its range. Because they are so sedentary, localised evolution has taken place, and around ten sub-species have been identified, with varying colour and size. Breeding is, as with many owls, influenced by prey availability, and starts as soon as the snow melts. Three or four eggs are laid, but rarely more than two chicks fledge successfully. Incubation takes about 28 days, with the young leaving the nest around 35 days after fledging
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{K:30432} 3/11/2005
