Eurasian eagle-owl
Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758)
The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a bird in the owl family Strigidae, order Strigiformes. It is a medium-sized carnivore with an adult body mass of 2.669 kg and a wingspan of 1.74 m, ranging from 1.6 to 1.88 m.
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Quick facts about the Eurasian eagle-owl
The IUCN Red List classifies it as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- 2.35 kg – 2.99 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- up to 75 cmsrc for Length
- Wingspan
- 1.6 m – 1.88 msrc for Wingspan
- Lifespan
- 47.7 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Carnivoresrc for Diet
- Longest recorded lifespan
- 68 years
- Main food
- vertebratessrc for Main food
- Habitat
- rockysrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 35 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 2.25 – 2.8src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 2 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Litters or clutches a year
- 1src for Litters or clutches a year
- Reproduction
- Eggssrc for Reproduction
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)src for Active
- Lifestyle
- Perchingsrc for Lifestyle
- Migration
- Sedentarysrc for Migration
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the Eurasian eagle-owl?
Photos of the Eurasian eagle-owl
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the Eurasian eagle-owl live?
Not recorded
What is the Eurasian eagle-owl?
The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides much over Eurasia. It is often just called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia.
It is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 centimetres (6 feet 2 inches). Males are slightly smaller. This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish colouring and tawny. The wings and tail are barred. The underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colouring. The facial disc is not very defined. The orange eyes are distinctive. At least 12 subspecies of the Eurasian eagle-owl are described.
Eurasian eagle-owls are found in many habitats; mostly mountainous and rocky areas, often near varied woodland edge and near shrubby areas with openings or wetlands. They also inhabit coniferous forests, steppes, and remote areas. Occasionally, they are found in farmland and in park-like settings in European and Asian cities and, very rarely, in busier urban areas.
The eagle-owl is mostly a nocturnal predator. Predominantly, they hunt small mammals, such as rodents and rabbits, but also birds and larger mammals. Secondary prey include reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects, and invertebrates.
The species typically breeds on cliff ledges, in gullies, among rocks, and in other concealed locations. The nest is a scrape containing a clutch of 2–4 eggs typically, which are laid at intervals and hatch at different times. The female incubates the eggs and broods the young. The male brings food for her and for the nestlings. Continuing parental care for the young is provided by both adults for about five months.
In addition to being one of the largest living species of owl, the Eurasian eagle-owl is also one of the most widely distributed. With a total range in Europe and Asia of about 51.4 million km2 (19.8 million sq mi) and a total population estimated to be between 100,000 and 500,000 individuals, the IUCN lists the bird's conservation status as being of least concern, although the trend is listed as decreasing. The vast majority of eagle-owls live in Continental Europe, Scandinavia, Russia (which is almost certainly where the peak numbers and diversity of race occurs), and Central Asia. Additional minor populations exist in Anatolia, the northern Middle East, the montane upper part of South Asia, China, Korea and in Japan; in addition, an estimated 12 to 40 pairs are thought to reside in the United Kingdom as of 2016 (where they are arguably non-native), a number which may be on the rise, and have successfully bred in the UK since at least 1996. Tame eagle-owls have occasionally been used in pest control because of their size to deter large birds such as gulls from nesting.
From the Wikipedia article “Eurasian eagle-owl” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eurasian_eagle-owl&oldid=1381583885), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
What does the Eurasian eagle-owl sound like?
Is the Eurasian eagle-owl endangered?
The Eurasian eagle-owl is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the Eurasian eagle-owl classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAves
- orderStrigiformes
- familyStrigidae
- genusBubo
- SpeciesBubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Bubo bubo dauricus, Bubo bubo inexpectatus, Bubo bubo jarlandi, Bubo bubo setschuanus, Bubo bubo zaissanensis, Bubo flavipes, Bubo ignavus, Bubo italicus, Bubo linnéi, Bubo maximus, Nyctea cinerea, Strix bubo, Strix bubo
Other names and names in other languages (174)
- Eagle owlEnglish
- Eagle-owlEnglish
- Eurasian eagle owlEnglish
- Eurasian eagle owlEnglish
- Northern eagle owlEnglish
- Northern eagle owlEnglish
- البوهةArabic
- البومة النساريةArabic
- بوم أوراسيArabic
- بومة نسّاريةArabic
- بوهة أوراسيةArabic
- بوهة أوروبيةArabic
- بوم النسر الأوراسيArabic
- بومة أم قرونArabic
- البوهة بومة أم قرونArabic
- BubónAragonese
- uxuAsturian
- CoruxhonAsturian
- Curuxón rialAsturian
- БайгъутAvaric
- БеццарузAvaric
- КеторузAvaric
- Adi yapalaqAzerbaijani
- Iri yapalaqAzerbaijani
- ӨкөBashkir
- ПугачBelarusian
- ФілінBelarusian
- БухалBulgarian
- Toud meurBreton
- DucCatalan
- duc eurasiàticCatalan
- Gran ducCatalan
- ӰнгӹMari
- ӰхӗChuvash
- Кушак пуҫлӑ тӑманаChuvash
- ӲхĕChuvash
- výr velkýCzech
- Pùchôcz zwëczajnyKashubian
- Tylluan fawrWelsh
- Eryrdylluan EwropWelsh
- Stor HornugleDanish
- AufGerman
- AdlereuleGerman
- GroßherzogGerman
- Herrscher der NachtGerman
- HuherGerman
- HuhuGerman
- HuwGerman
- JutzeuleGerman
- König der NachtGerman
- NachthuriGerman
- SchuhuGerman
- UhuGerman
- ŠubutLower Sorbian
- Wjelika sowaLower Sorbian
- ΜGreek
- ΜπούφοςGreek
- Ευρασιατικός μπούφοςGreek
- (Κοινός) ΜπούφοςGreek
- eŭrazia gufoEsperanto
- Búho realSpanish
- kassikakkEstonian
- Hontz handiBasque
- شاه بوفPersian
- huuhkajaFinnish
- Hibou grand-ducFrench
- Grand-duc d'EuropeFrench
- Grand-duc d’EuropeFrench
- DűcFriulian
- Rí-ulchabhánIrish
- Rí-ulchabhán EoráiseachIrish
- comhachag mhòrScottish Gaelic
- cailleach-oidhche mhòrScottish Gaelic
- cailleachan-oidhcheScottish Gaelic
- comhachagan mòraScottish Gaelic
- Bufo realGalician
- Hullad vooarManx
- HuhelerSwiss German
- Sova ušaraSerbian (Latin)
- אוחHebrew
- אוח מצויHebrew
- אוח עיטיHebrew
- Komban kottaanHindi
- ušaraCroatian
- Velika ušaraCroatian
- PujwujUpper Sorbian
- ԲվեճArmenian
- Բվեճ (Bvech)Armenian
- GufoIdo
- ÚfurIcelandic
- Gufo realeItalian
- ワシミミズクJapanese
- ワシミミズク (鷲木菟)Japanese
- ワシミミズク (Washi-mimizuku)Japanese
- ზარნაშოGeorgian
- ЖьындуKabardian
- Ÿгÿkjh
- үкіKazakh
- ಕೊಂಬಿನ ಗೂಬೆKannada
- 수리부엉이Korean
- СюзьKomi-Permyak
- ŞakundKurdish
- ErulaCornish
- Oula brasCornish
- Чоң үкүKyrgyz
- СарLezghian
- байкъушLezghian
- Duchlld
- paprastasis didysis apuokasLithuanian
- Didysis apuokasLithuanian
- ūpisLatvian
- ӱҥгӧMari
- овдакайыкMari
- овдатумнаMari
- бувMacedonian
- Голем бувMacedonian
- Голем ушест бувMacedonian
- Kokka imperjaliMaltese
- Эгэл шар шувууMongolian
- БулдыгайErzya
- Tó wónaanídę́ę́ʼ néʼéshjaatsohNavajo
- हाप्सिलोNepali
- OehoeDutch
- hubroNorwegian
- DucàsOccitan
- Hyybiiolo
- Puchacz zwyczajnyPolish
- PuchaczPolish
- puchacz (zwyczajny)Polish
- Cioch ëd montagnaPiedmontese
- bufo-realPortuguese
- Piv grondRomansh
- BuhăRomanian
- BufnițaRomanian
- ФилинRussian
- Филин обыкновенныйRussian
- МодьугуYakut
- BumbbástatNorthern Sami
- bealljeskuolfiNorthern Sami
- hahpatNorthern Sami
- lidnuNorthern Sami
- stuorraskuolfiNorthern Sami
- výr skalnýSlovak
- velika uharicaSlovenian
- JïhpeSouthern Sami
- LiddnoLule Sami
- StuorrâoppuuInari Sami
- Hõ´ppi.Skolt Sami
- BufiAlbanian
- буљинаSerbian
- Велика ушараSerbian
- BuljinaSerbian
- CuccuSardinian
- berguvSwedish
- Kungwi wa UlayaSwahili
- கொம்பன் ஆந்தைTamil
- ӨкеTatar
- BuhuTurkish
- Bayağı puhuTurkish
- PuhuTurkish
- ҮгүTuvinian
- ЫйбааңгыTuvinian
- Кызыл үгүTuvinian
- Пугач звичайнийUkrainian
- пугач палеарктичнийUkrainian
- HübjVeps
- Cú đại bàng Á ÂuVietnamese
- 恨狐Chinese
- 老兔Chinese
- 角鸱Chinese
- 雕号鸟Chinese
- 雕鴞Chinese
- 雕鸮Chinese
- 鵰鴞Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the Eurasian eagle-owl
Other species in the same genus Bubo.
Snowy owl
Bubo scandiacus
Great horned owl
Bubo virginianus
Indian eagle-owl
Bubo bengalensis
Spotted eagle-owl
Bubo africanus
Pharaoh eagle-owl
Bubo ascalaphus
Cape eagle-owl
Bubo capensis
CompareEurasian eagle-owl vs Snowy owlEurasian eagle-owl vs Great horned owlEurasian eagle-owl vs Indian eagle-owlEurasian eagle-owl vs Spotted eagle-owl
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
How big is the Eurasian eagle-owl?
The Eurasian eagle-owl has an adult body mass of 2.669 kg and a wingspan of 1.74 m. Reported wingspans range from 1.6 to 1.88 m.
What does the Eurasian eagle-owl eat?
The Eurasian eagle-owl is a carnivore.
Is the Eurasian eagle-owl endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian eagle-owl as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the Eurasian eagle-owl live?
Our sources give a lifespan of 47.67 years for the Eurasian eagle-owl, with a highest reported value of 68 years.
How many eggs does the Eurasian eagle-owl lay?
The Eurasian eagle-owl has a clutch size of 2.25 eggs, up to 2.8, with 1 clutch per year. Incubation lasts 35 days.
What kind of animal is the Eurasian eagle-owl?
The Eurasian eagle-owl is a bird, an owl in the family Strigidae and order Strigiformes.
Who named the Eurasian eagle-owl?
The Eurasian eagle-owl, Bubo bubo, was named by (Linnaeus, 1758).
What habitat does the Eurasian eagle-owl live in?
The Eurasian eagle-owl lives in rocky habitats and is sedentary.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds · CC BY 4.0 · v7
Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-eagle-owl
“Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-eagle-owl.
@misc{eurasian_eagle_owl_2026,
title = {Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-eagle-owl},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}