Finland. Juvenille Owls to ID. (1 Viewer)

[moose1991]

Saw this photos on the Finnish Wartime Photographic archive.

SA - kuvagalleria

I can't work out what species these juvenilles are.
I would be grateful in being educated on how to tell.
Cheers.
Captions in Finnish say .
Tiltu ja Molotoff . Joutseno 1941.07.21
and
Everstiluutnantti Laaksonen. Joutseno 1941.07.21

 

[Butty]

Colonel Laaksonen with his two owls “Molotoff” and “Tiltu”. Joutseno, Finland, July 1941
Why not eagle owls?

 

[moose1991]

Colonel Laaksonen with his two owls “Molotoff” and “Tiltu”. Joutseno, Finland, July 1941
Why not eagle owls?

Gah! Never even thought of those. Cheers.

Saw this more recent photo which made me think of Ural Owl for the pair on his shoulders.

Prints of Ural owl (Strix uralensis), juvenile, Finland, June

Ural owl (Strix uralensis), juvenile, Finland, June. Our beautiful pictures are available as Framed Prints, Photos, Wall Art and Photo Gifts #MediaStorehouse

www.natureplprints.com

 

[tconzemi]

Eagle Owlets

 

[creedence]

Gah! Never even thought of those. Cheers.

Saw this more recent photo which made me think of Ural Owl for the pair on his shoulders.

Prints of Ural owl (Strix uralensis), juvenile, Finland, June

Ural owl (Strix uralensis), juvenile, Finland, June. Our beautiful pictures are available as Framed Prints, Photos, Wall Art and Photo Gifts #MediaStorehouse

www.natureplprints.com

Not Ural Owls as they have a dark iris

 

[jalid]

Eagle Owls indeed. The species was quite scarce as a breeder that time, and was still totally unprotected, it become commoner and expanded to the areas closer to human habitations after it got the legal protection from 1960's.

Probably soldiers had found the owlets and taken them as pets. Lieutenant colonel Laaksonen is a quite well known soldier. Joutseno is in SE Finland, close to the border (both current and then). At that time he was with his unit preparing for the attack against the Soviet Union, which was to begin in some weeks.

 

[moose1991]

Thanks for the replies everyone.