5 Of The Largest Owl Species In The World

The world is full of many different types of interesting birds. They can be found throughout all of the continents and each species has a different role to play in its ecosystem. Some are nimble and highly specialised and others are large powerful killers. One of the most easily recognisable types of birds are of course the owls. There are over 200 species of owl alive today and of course these species can look very different to each other and specialise in surviving in different environments. Although some of these species can be very small, today I will be focusing on the larger birds, as I'll be going through 5 of the largest owls in the world. And for our first species we can head to both Eurasia and North America, as we have the Great Grey Owl. Now this bird prefers dense forests, and surprisingly they are both active during the day and the night in these areas. This owl communicates using a wide variety of vocalisations, but its most common call is a low pitched hoot. This can be heard over half a mile away in the right conditions, and is one of the easiest ways to locate this bird. One of the most striking things about this owl is the fact that it has a large facial disc. This is the disc of feathers used to direct sound towards their ears, and it also has the effect of making this owl look a lot larger. If you haven't seen an owl without feathers I apologise in advance, but they do tend to look very fragile and otherworldly. Owls tend to have very striking, beautiful eyes. These eyes are usually a yellow or an orange colour, and they are very different to our own eyes. Instead of being balls, owls eyes are essentially elongated tubes. They cannot move these tubes around independently, and that's the reason why they can move their heads almost 360 degrees and also upside down. Although this is one of the largest owls in the world, they tend to favour smaller prey. They almost entirely rely on small rodents, but will sometimes target other predatory birds, and of course ducks. This diet is very protein rich and nutritious, and is one of the reasons they can grow so large. They have a maximum wingspan of around 1.6 metres, which is around the same length as Natalie Portman. They can also weigh in at around 1.9 kilograms, which is around the same weight as an island grey fox. So although it may not be the largest bird on this list, it is one of the more easy species to identify. But for our next species we'll be heading to the Americas, as we have the Great Horned Owl. This species is extremely adaptable, and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. They can be found over a wide variety of habitats, where they have adapted to hunting a wide variety of prey. Because they can be found in so many areas, over their vast range there are multiple different subspecies, each of them looking slightly different to each other. Most of their diet is made up of small rodents like white footed mice, but they are capable of taking on much more challenging prey, in the form of ospreys and other owls. To take down these prey items they have extremely strong feet and sharp talons, and they use their grip strength to sever the spines of their prey. These are extremely long lived birds, with the oldest recorded in the wild living up to 28 years old, but in captivity they're known to live up to 50 years old. Like other owls they swallow their prey whole, but as they are not able to digest every part of the animal, they often regurgitate pellets, and these are mostly made up of bone, fur and other unwanted parts of their meal. These fierce predators are also great parents, and will often take over unwanted nests of other large birds. They will defend their young from intruders at all costs, and the young are ready to fly at 10-12 weeks old. But over their long lifetimes they can reach a very impressive size, as they can weigh in at 2.5 kilograms, which is around the same weight as a sand cat, and they can have a wingspan of 1.6 meters, which is 13 centimetres taller than Danny DeVito. So although they're not the largest owl in the world, they are one of the most adaptable owls. But for our next species we'll be heading into the arctic circle, as we have the snowy owl. These birds thrive within the arctic circle, and have many adaptations that help them deal with the harsh conditions. They have very thick feathers that make them very heavy for their size, and these feathers even cover their claws, as they sometimes breed in areas where the sun never sets. They are neither nocturnal or diurnal, and are equally active during the night and during the day. Of course its colour is another adaptation, as they blend in almost perfectly with the white snow. The males are usually a lot paler than the females, but the females are much larger. The most famous snowy owl is of course Hedwig, and although she's a female in the books, all the actors playing her in the films were male, and you can tell this by their mostly white colour. The females of this species rarely hoot, but the males are known to have a harsh loud bark. These owls may be one of the easiest species to spot, as they like to hunt in open treeless places, as this makes it easier to spot their prey. This prey almost always comes in the form of lemmings, and these birds are highly dependent on these small mammals. One of these owls can eat 1,600 lemmings per year, and lemming population booms can directly result in an increase of snowy owl chicks. But this lemming rich diet can help them reach a maximum weight of around 3 kilograms, and that's around the same weight as a mountain brush-tailed opossum. They can also possess a wingspan of around 1.8 meters, which is around the same height as Brad Pitt. So even though they're not the largest owl species, they are probably the most famous. But the next two entries on this list are very close in size. It's argued which one is the largest, but at a close number 2 for our next species, we'll be heading over to Eurasia, as we have the Eurasian Eagle Owl. Like the Great Horned Owl, this bird also has distinctive ear tufts, and it also has a very large distribution. They can be found in mountainous areas, woodlands, and even near busy cities, and in these areas they are perfectly adapted nocturnal predators. Famously one of these birds showed up at Helsinki Olympic Stadium, and spent its time hanging out on the goalposts. This caused the game to be delayed for several minutes, but was a beautiful sight nonetheless. In their native habitat they are efficient hunters, preying on pretty much anything smaller than them. This is again mostly small mammals, but can even be reptiles and other birds as large as herons. Although owls often choose to be very elusive, in some instances they can be very easy to find. Smaller prey birds will often harry and harass them, and this means that they are forced to find new hunting grounds. When threatened on the ground, they will often make themselves look larger, and this is an attempt to intimidate the threat. In most cases this works, as this very beautiful owl can reach a maximum weight of around 4.6 kilos. This is around the same weight as a white-nosed coati, and they can also have a wingspan of around 2 meters, which is 16 centimeters shorter than Shaquille O'Neal. So even though this owl is one of the largest birds of prey in the world, it still only makes number 2 on this list. For our final species we'll be heading over to East Asia, as we have Blackiston's fish owl. These birds are typically found in Siberia, China, and the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and tend to prefer dense old-growth forests. Now as you can probably guess from this bird's name, they do have a very fishy diet. They will sometimes settle for small fish, but prefer to tackle pike, catfish and salmon. They will of course supplement this diet with mammals, and they tend to feed more on mammals in the winter. Although this owl is called a fish owl, many argue that it should be called an eagle owl. This is because it's more closely related to the Eurasian eagle owl than it is to fish owls, and of course these two birds are of very similar size. Unfortunately today this owl is listed as endangered. This is due to many human-related factors, such as developments along riverbanks, and the conversion of habitats into farmland. Overfishing is also a major factor, and without help these magnificent birds may disappear. Like with all the owls on this list, I will leave donation links down below if possible, and hopefully with your help we'll see more of these owls in the future. But as well as being a graceful fish hunter, this bird is also the largest owl in the world. It again maxes out at around 4.6 kilograms, which is around the same weight as a masked palm civet. They also have a wingspan of around 2 meters, which is around 4.5 centimeters taller than the rock. So even though there's barely anything in it, this owl is the largest owl in the world. If you want me to cover any other types of animals in these videos, then let me know down in the comments below. But thank you for watching, I hope you enjoyed. If you liked it, please leave a like, and subscribe if you want to see more videos like these. But until next time, goodbye.