Great Gray Owl

(Strix nebulosa)

A few years back, the front page of the newspaper showed a picture of this great gray owl. It was visiting a small town nearby. We couldn't help but go see it! How exciting! An owl!

Owls have always been special to me. I had only seen a few owls until that day. The day we saw this great gray owl it was cold but sunny. It was sitting on this tree next to the post office. As you can imagine, there were a number of people there to see it. As usual, we gave it space so that we didn't scare it away. With my long lens on my camera, I took several photos of this beauty.

The great gray owl is largest owl of all. It's wingspan is between 54 and 60 inches. Did you know it doesn't have ear tufts? It's true. Although its legs are weak, they are able to kill prey much heavier than it like the raccoon or jackrabbit. They also eat smaller mammals. Believe it or not, their nose is so powerful that they can smell animals under snow. 

Watching this beauty was so much fun. I enjoyed seeing how he moved his  head, focused on the sun and always kept a close eye on all of us standing close by. 

The great gray's face is the largest of any bird. Look at how the feathers surround the eyes, beak, mouth and cheeks. It looks like two half circles together to me. Love the colors and patterns of this bird. 

The great gray owl was named after its colors. They can live up to 27 years. 

Talking walks and seeing birds generally means you hear them sing or make other noises. The great gray owl does not make a sound unless it is mating. 

So, a beautiful bird on a beautiful day. So many of us stood and watched in wonder. It sat on the tree long after we all left. It wasn't hungry yet.

Thank you for visiting!

Judy

References:

Dunn, JL & Adlerfer, J. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. 6th edition.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds.

https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/grgowl/introductionference:

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-gray-owl

www.arkive.org/great-grey-owl/strix-nebulosa/

http://www.owling.com/great-gray-owl-biology/

https://www.owlworlds.com/great-gray-owl/