The Ural Owl is a grayish owl that can be found in colder climates. They like to live in coniferous and mixed forests that have clearings or bogs within them.1 Their coloring comes in either a dark or light morph, but the lighter morph is more commonplace. They stand at 19-24 inches tall, with a wingspan of 10.5-15 inches long, and weigh 17-45 ounces.2
These owls aren’t shy and can usually be approached. The exception is during breeding season – they’ll become more aggressive to protect their nest and offspring.2 Ural Owls are nocturnal. They’ll hunt during the evening in open clearings.1 They love to eat voles, which make up the majority of their diet. They also eat mice, rats, frogs, and more.2
Ural Owls are typically monogamous.3 The male will provide food for the female while she incubates the eggs. This process takes about a month. She’ll start incubating the first egg as soon as she lays it, and the clutch will hatch in the order in which they were laid.2
Overall, Ural Owls are considered of Least Concern, according to the IUCN. They do currently have a stable population trend. However, one threat they do face is that taking down hollow trees leaves them without viable options to live.3
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