Ural Owl
Strix uralensis
The Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) is a uncommon owl found in 22 countries, weighing about 781 g. The Ural owl is a large nocturnal owl.
About the Ural Owl
The Ural owl is a large nocturnal owl. It is a member of the true owl family, Strigidae. The Ural owl is a member of the genus Strix, that is also the origin of the family's name under Linnaean taxonomy. Both its common name and scientific name refer to the Ural Mountains of Russia where the type specimen was collected. However, this species has an extremely broad distribution that extends as far west as much of Scandinavia, montane eastern Europe, and, sporadically, central Europe, thence sweeping across the Palearctic broadly through Russia to as far east as Sakhalin and throughout Japan. The Ural owl may include up to 15 subspecies, but most likely the number may be slightly fewer if…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Like most Strix species, it has a broad, rounded head with a correspondingly round facial disc, barring a tiny V-shaped indentation. The Ural owl has, for an owl, an exceptionally long tail that bears a wedge-shaped tip. In colour, it tends to be a plain pale greyish-brown to whitish overall (with more detailed description of their variation under subspecies), with a slightly darker grey-brown to brown back and mantle with contrasting whitish markings.
What the Ural Owl sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Germany, Czechia, Kazakhstan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Ural Owl?
- Like most Strix species, it has a broad, rounded head with a correspondingly round facial disc, barring a tiny V-shaped indentation. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Ural Owl?
- The Ural Owl is a large sized bird weighing about 781 g.
- Where can you see a Ural Owl?
- The Ural Owl occurs in 22 countries, including Finland, Sweden, Russia, Estonia and Ukraine.
- What does a Ural Owl sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Ural Owl on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Ural Owl?
- The Ural Owl is most easily confused with the Mottled Owl, the Great Grey Owl and the Black-and-white Owl.
- Is the Ural Owl endangered?
- The Ural Owl is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Ural Owl for real
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