Ural Owls : Everything You Need To Know

The Ural Owl is a species of the genus Strix which is the source of the name of the family under Linnaean taxonomy. The common name as well as the scientific name are a reference to the Ural Mountains of Russia where the original specimen was taken. This species, however, is extremely widespread which extends across as Scandinavia as well as the montane eastern Europe and occasionally central Europe and then traversing the Palearctic generally through Russia and the east of Sakhalin and across Japan. The Ural Owl may have more than 15 subspecies however, it is likely that the total could be a bit lower depending on the clinal variation.

The Ural Owl is an omnivore in its diet, like other species of the Strix genus, however it is primarily dependent upon small mammals specifically rodents of small size, such as voles. Concerning reproductive behavior, Ural owls tend to defend their territory with vigor in which they have historically been nesting on various natural nesting sites, such as stumps, tree cavities and nests initially constructed by other birds, but today they are in a lot of areas of the range, they are adapting to nest boxes constructed by conservationists and biologists. Breeding success is typically associated with the number of prey species.

The Ural Owl is thought to be a bird species that is stable in general, and has an IUCN conservation status. IUCN as a least-risk species. In spite of some local declines and disappearances in the region, the Ural Owl has been helped in central Europe through Reintroductions.

Description Of Ural Owl :

The Ural Owl is the distinction of having the longest tail in the world with a wedge-shaped tip. In terms of colour, it tends to be plain light greyish-brown to a whitish overall (with more in-depth descriptions of the variation in subspecies) It has a darker grey-brown mantle and back with contrasting streaks of whitish. The underparts are light grey-brown to cream-ochre and are strongly (though often more subdued) overlayed with dark brown streaking with no crossbars. There are many variations in the overall plumage color as well as at the subspecies and at the individual level.

The Ural Owl is usually an owl with a pale grey-brown appearance that is usually not displaying the richer, warmer shades of the other Strix owls. It also has distinct streaks of colour beneath. When flying, an Ural bird has a predominantly white, buffish underwing with dark bars along the trailing edge and on the tip as well as a long white-tipped tail appears to be slung downwards.

Their flight pattern is like buzzards, but with more and more relaxed wingbeats, and their flight style frequently giving the impression of a rather large bird. The eyes are dark brown, and are rather small and positioned close in relation to one another It is thought to provide them with less of a “fierce” face than that of a grey owl (Strix Nebulosa). The eyes remind us of an almond, both in form and colour. The bill is yellowish in color and has an unclean yellow cere. The tarsi and toes are covered with grayish feathering, and the talons have a yellowish brown with dark tips.

Vocalization :

They’re ears. Ural owl are big, with an average of 24 millimeters (0.94 inch) to the left side and 27 millimeters (1.1 inch) to the right side, with the dermal flap that is pre-aural measuring around 13 millimeters (0.51 millimeters).

There ears are among the biggest found in the owls. With their ears that are large The well-developed facial discs demonstrate how important sound is to hunting for this and other Owls who hunt in boreal regions.

The male’s song is a deep rhythmic set of notes that includes a brief break between the two first notes. It is often transcribed as wihu huw-huhuwo , or huow. The song repeats over a period of some seconds. The male’s voice can carry two kilometers (1.2 miles) in human perception, but generally, it is not considered to be as far-carrying. Peak singing times in Finland in spring are between 10 pm to 12 am, and more intensely between 3 am, which is different from the times of peak nest visits.

Breeding of Ural Owl :

Males assert their territory through singing from different places while courtship can be heard singing along with their partners. Owls usually form a pair and stay in the same territory over many years.

Nesting places include huge naturally-formed holes within trees. holes caused by broken branches hollow trunks fissures, holes and fissures in the rocks or between them, and in holes inside structures. They are also known to construct nests with sticks of larger birds, as and squirrel dreys. In Finland and other countries around it there are a huge variety of nest boxes made from artificial that are used by the Owls.

Eggs are laid between mid-April and late March when 3-4 (sometimes 1-1-6) eggs are laid directly in the middle of the nest in intervals of around two days. Eggs are white and measure 46.5-52.3 39-44mm wide and weigh between 46 and 48 grams. The female incubates eggs on her own, starting with the first egg and the male is responsible for food. The incubation period lasts between 28 and 35 days, and the hatching occurs every day at the same time when the eggs are laid.

Nestlings leave the nest at about 35 days old. They may fly pretty well by approximately 45 days. They are taken care of as well as fed by their parents around two months after they leave the nest. They attain sexual maturity prior to 1 year.

Where to find Ural Owl :

They can be found in the forests that are located in Finland, Poland, Croatia, Sweden, and throughout the Northern portion of Europe along with Russia, Korea, Japan, Okhotsk sea and much throughout Central as well as Southeastern Asia.

How Big is an Ural owl ?

The Ural Owl, Strix uralensis is a very large owl found in Europe as well as it is found in the Central and Southeastern region of Asia. In the average, it is around 19.7-23.2 in (50-59 centimeters) in length. It also has a an average wingspan of 40.5-48.8 inches (103-124 inches). They’re roughly the similar size to a small black vulture.