From Opus

Photo by mcdomik

Surnia ulula

[edit] Identification

L 35-43 cm, WS 69-82 cm.

• Long, rounded tail with white stripes
• Barred underparts
• Large round head with no ear tufts
• Eyes and bill are yellow
• Thick black stripe framing each side of its whitish face
• Forehead is spotted white
• Breast is whitish with dark brown horizontal stripes

[edit] Distribution

Photo by brianhstone
Vaala, Finland

Northern circumpolar.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Three subspecies are recognized:

• S. u. caparoch:

• Alaska to Canada, Newfoundland and extreme northern US

• S. u. ulula:

• Northern Eurasia

• S. u. tianschanica:

• Central Asia to north-western and north-eastern China and northern Mongolia

[edit] Habitat

Boreal forests, preferring vicinity of bog, meadow or clearfell.

[edit] Behaviour

Rather hawklike, smaller than American Crow. Does not sit as erect as other owls. Often perches at the top of a tree and frequently jerks its tail up and slowly lowers it. Shrikelike, it flies low, rising abruptly to its perch.

Diurnal hunter, calls at night

[edit] Diet

Food voles (main prey, taken on ground after watch from treetop) and birds (e.g. thrushes; capable of catching prey as large as Willow Grouse).

[edit] Breeding

Nests inside woodpecker holes or rotting trees, also abandoned crow, hawk, and squirrel nests. Clutch of 3 - 10 eggs are laid and incubated by the female for 25 - 30 days. After the young hatch it takes another 25 - 30 days before they leave the nest.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Answers.com
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

• List of references

[edit] External Links