Here’s a full natural history overview of the Ural Owl (Strix uralensis), a powerful forest owl of Europe and Asia:

Ural Owl (Strix uralensis)

Taxonomy & Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Aves
• Order: Strigiformes
• Family: Strigidae (Typical owls)
• Genus: Strix
• Species: S. uralensis
• Common names: Ural Owl

General Description

• Size: 50–62 cm long; wingspan 110–134 cm.
• Weight: 500–1,300 g (females larger than males).
• Appearance:
  • Large, round head with no ear tufts.
  • Pale face with darker concentric rings around dark eyes.
  • Long tail (relatively longer than most owls, giving a hawk-like impression).
  • Plumage gray-brown to whitish with streaking, varying across subspecies.
• Distinctive features: Combination of size, pale face, and long tail distinguishes it from similar owls.

Behavior & Lifestyle

• Activity: Mostly nocturnal, but may also hunt at dawn, dusk, and even by day in winter.
• Flight: Silent, buoyant, and powerful; capable of maneuvering through dense forests.
• Territoriality: Strongly territorial, especially during breeding—adults will fiercely attack intruders, including humans, near nests.
• Vocalizations:
  • Deep, resonant territorial call: a series of hoots.
  • Alarm and contact calls include harsh barks and screeches.

Diet

• Primary food: Small mammals—voles, mice, shrews, and squirrels.
• Birds: Occasionally takes small to medium-sized birds.
• Other prey: Frogs, insects, and occasionally fish.
• Hunting strategy: Perches on branches or glides low to the ground, using acute vision and hearing to locate prey.

Life Cycle & Breeding

• Breeding season: March–June (earlier in southern parts of range).
• Nesting sites:
  • Old tree cavities, broken tree trunks, or large stick nests built by other raptors.
  • Will also use nest boxes in managed forests.
• Clutch size: 2–6 eggs (typically 3–4).
• Incubation: 27–34 days, mainly by the female.
• Fledging: Chicks leave the nest at 4–5 weeks but remain dependent on parents for several weeks.
• Parental behavior: Female broods while male provides food; both defend chicks aggressively.

Habitat

• Prefers mature mixed or coniferous forests with clearings, bogs, or meadows nearby.
• Often associated with boreal forests, montane woodlands, and riparian areas.
• Requires large, undisturbed tracts of forest for breeding.

Geographic Range

• Found across northern and eastern Europe (Scandinavia, Baltic states, Poland, Balkans) through Russia and Siberia into Japan.
• In central Europe, populations are patchier and often restricted to mountain forests (e.g., the Alps, Carpathians, and Balkans).

Ecological Role

• Predator: Helps regulate rodent populations, especially voles.
• Prey: Eggs, chicks, and sometimes adults taken by larger raptors (eagles, goshawks).
• Indicator species: Presence signals healthy, old-growth forests.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
• Population trends: Stable or increasing in some areas due to nest box programs.
• Threats:
  • Logging of mature forests reduces nesting opportunities.
  • Human disturbance during breeding can lower success.
• Conservation measures: Protection of old-growth forests, installation of nest boxes, and legal protections in many countries.

Interesting Facts

• Known as one of the most aggressive owls when defending its nest—attacks on researchers are well-documented.
• In Finland and Sweden, the Ural Owl is often used in nest box conservation programs to help sustain populations.
• Unlike many owls, it frequently hunts during daylight, especially when feeding chicks.
• Plays an important role in folk culture and symbolism across northern Europe.

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