Photo: Dion Art / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Grey Owl
Strix nebulosa
Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) — Owls of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 1.1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Strix
- Species nebulosa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Grey Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Grey Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, PAL n.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.1 kg, with a wing length of about 43.6 cm and a tail of around 26.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 19.8 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Grey Owl?
The Great Grey Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Great Grey Owl live?
The Great Grey Owl is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL n, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Great Grey Owl belong to?
The Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Great Grey Owl eat?
The Great Grey Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Great Grey Owl migrate?
The Great Grey Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Grey Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Grey Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Great Grey Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Grey Owl's range?
The Great Grey Owl has a mapped global range of about 19.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.